And Baby Makes Three
by Hidden Treasures
Summary: With the decision to try for a baby made, James and Rose eagerly look forward to this newest chapter of their lives. Part 4 of my Perfectly Matched Series.
1. Chapter 1

"Well?" James asked, tapping his fingers against his knee as Rose hung up the phone.

"She says it's completely fine for me to stop taking the pill," Rose said with a grin. "And she said it'll probably take a few cycles for my body to get back to normal. By spring, maybe, I'll be ready to conceive."

"Fantastic," James said, scooping Rose up for a hug. "No harm in practicing, though, eh?"

"You're insatiable!" Rose giggled when James stuck his hands in her back pocket and gave a firm squeeze.

"Oh, you love it," he murmured, giving her earlobe a quick nip. "Besides, we ought to take advantage of being in the privacy of our own home. In ten days we'll be surrounded by family. For a whole week! Gotta keep it quiet there. Here, in our home, we can be as loud as we want."

Rose rolled her eyes at her daft husband, but she didn't stop him when he slipped his hands under the waistband of her jeans to squeeze at her bum without the hindrance of fabric.

Later, as they were curled up under a blanket on the couch, James whispered, "I found a really neat app. Might be useful for us."

"Yeah?" she asked, rolling onto her back to look at him.

He nodded and reached across her for his mobile on the coffee table. He held his phone out in front of them and tapped on a pink heart-shaped icon.

Rose raised an eyebrow when she saw the word _woman's calendar_ flash across the screen.

"You've downloaded a period tracker app?" she laughed, taking his phone from him to scroll through the app and all of its features and functions.

"I-I thought it might be helpful," he mumbled, and Rose sobered when she saw how embarrassed he looked. "Just an idea."

"Hey, I love it," she said, turning to face him. "Really. It's just that most blokes get grossed out by their woman's monthly, is all."

"I'm not most blokes," James scoffed. "Honestly. Why are men such fuckwits about a woman's period anyway? It's a natural, biological process."

"Nah, it's five days of the month where we bleed from their love canal and cut 'em off from shagging," Rose said with a cheeky wink.

James burst into giggles, and Rose beamed at him, glad she could work him through his daft embarrassment.

"Love canal?" he choked out.

"Heard some mates at school call it that years back," Rose said, snuggling her head against his chest as she continued looking through the app. She stopped short when she realized he had already inputted quite a bit of data. "Not sure if I should be creeped out or flattered that you know when I've got my period and how long my cycle is…"

"Let's go with the latter, shall we? But anyways, I thought this app might be a good idea for us to have to keep track of when you're most fertile so we can be sure to shag extra thoroughly on those days."

"You saying we don't already shag thoroughly?" Rose teased, and as she turned to face him, she pressed her thigh between his legs and gave him a slow rub.

His breath hitched before he squeaked out, "Nope. Not at all. Always do a thorough job, don't we?"

"I like to think so," Rose laughed. "And yeah, you're right. That app is a good idea. I'll just go and install that, shall I?"

Rose smirked as she rolled away from him, and flung the blankets off of her, as though to get up and find her phone. She squealed when James caught her around the waist and tugged her back against him.

"Later," he growled, rolling onto his back and pulling her on top of him.

oOoOo

"Ugh," Rose groaned, settling herself back into bed with a heating pad around her abdomen.

"All right?" James asked sympathetically, setting a glass of water on her bedside table.

"Yeah, just period cramps," she sighed. "Well, _pre_ -period cramps. And they're not really cramps, they're… I don't even know. Nausea, maybe? I just feel… _bleh_."

"Ooh, not even bleeding yet?" he winced, knowing if she was already feeling this poorly this early that this cycle would be a bad one. "Sorry, love. Are you sure you're not coming down with anything?"

James pressed the backs of his fingers to her forehead, but she didn't feel feverish at all.

"Nah," Rose said, rolling over onto her side to spoon his pillow. "Don't think so. Just having a day, I think."

"All right. Well, call me if you need anything," he murmured, bending down to press a kiss to her hair. "Love you."

"Love you, too. Have a good day," Rose murmured, feeling a wave of lethargy fall over her.

She hugged his pillow tighter to her when she heard him leave and sighed into the fabric.

After managing to sleep for another hour and a half, Rose was glad that she awoke feeling at least a little more refreshed than when she first awoke that morning. She was a little hungry, but not hungry enough to leave her comfy bed, so Rose reached for her phone and mindlessly scrolled through it.

She checked her email and social media pages, then opened up a few games but closed them just as quickly, in an odd limbo of feeling restless yet lazy.

When she closed out of her latest game of Candy Crush, she saw the little pink heart icon of the period tracker app she'd installed on her phone a couple months ago. She hadn't checked it or updated it in several weeks, but she really wanted to get into the habit of it since she and James were about to start seriously trying to conceive.

She opened the app, and took a glance at the calendar that popped up on the screen, and froze when she saw that the numbers on last week's row of dates were red.

"Can't be," she muttered, counting backwards in her head, but the app was right; her period was six days late.

Her heart raced. She couldn't be pregnant already, could she? She'd only gone off her pill three months ago; surely her body wasn't back to normal yet?

Well, there was only one way to find out…

Moving with frenetic energy, Rose got herself up and dressed and scarfed down a slice of toast before she made her way to the pharmacy.

Once there, she located the aisle she needed, and balked at the selection. Bloody hell, did they really need to make so many types of home pregnancy tests? She grabbed a handful of boxes from various brands, and she tried to convince herself that the cashier wasn't looking at her funny for buying half a dozen pregnancy tests.

When she got home, she shut herself away in the downstairs loo to take one of the six tests.

Several minutes later, she was nervously pacing in the kitchen as she sipped at her tea—having looked up if it was safe for a pregnant woman to drink tea, just in case—and waited for the test to be done. When the allotted five minutes were up, she took another two minutes to steel herself for whatever she saw.

 _It doesn't matter what it says,_ Rose said firmly. She and James had promised each other that they wouldn't let their decision to try for a baby stress or overwhelm them. But, God, the yearning in his voice the night he agreed to try for a baby with her made her ache for the test to come back as positive.

 _He'd be such a great dad_ , she mused, swallowing down the last bit of tea in her mug before walking back into the bathroom. She contemplated leaving the test where it was and phoning James to ask him to come home, but she dismissed the idea immediately. What if it came back negative and she pulled him out of work for nothing? No, she wouldn't give him false hope. She wouldn't tell him anything until there was something to tell.

She took a deep breath and flipped the plastic stick over, scanning the test readout screen. A pink plus sign greeted her. Her hands shook, and tears prickled behind her eyes. She set the test down and giggled out a sob. Pregnant. She was—

—Wait. What if that test had been faulty? What if there had been some sort of manufacturing error and that particular test gave a false positive?

Rose fiercely ripped open two more boxes, desperate for them to give her the same result as the first. She took the two other tests and paced in the bathroom this time, impatient for the wait time.

She read the directions for the tests as she waited. Two lines for positive, one for negative; the second would display a plus or a minus symbol.

Ninety seconds early, Rose picked up the sticks, hoping they were done.

Two black lines. Blue plus sign. She was pregnant.

Tears of utter joy stung at her eyes and she let them flow as she grinned goofily at the three positive pregnancy tests sitting on the sink and hovered her hand over her flat belly.

A baby! She and James were going to have a baby! She and her soulmate were going to be parents! _She made a baby with her best friend!_

She raced out of the room and to the home office to find a pen, but she paused with the tip to her skin. Should she really tell him like this? Surely this news ought to be delivered in person?

But she was so excited to tell him. The look of joy in his eyes when they both finally agreed to try for a baby was still fresh in her mind. The soft reverence in his voice when he told her how much he wanted a baby with her was still burned into her memory.

She was so giddy, and she desperately wanted to share her happiness with her soulmate. Rose nodded to herself, then set about making a sketch for him…

oOoOo

James glanced at his pocket watch impatiently. Rose had been feeling unwell when he left her that morning, and despite her reassurances that it was nothing she couldn't handle, he was anxious to go home to her and care for her.

Well, it was already half-one. Classes were done for the day, and while he still had an exam to write, there was no reason he couldn't do that at home, sitting on the couch beside Rose.

He nodded to himself, then packed up his briefcase and lifted his sleeve to tell Rose he was taking the rest of the day off and he'd be home soon, and as her if she wanted him to pick up anything for her on the way home.

But there was new ink on his wrist, a drawing, and his pen slipped from his fingers.

Rose had drawn the two of them standing side by side, with him holding a tiny bundle in his arms. Beneath the picture, she'd written "it happened."

Blood rushed in his ears as he stared at the drawing on his arm. _It happened._ Was this… did they… was she…? They'd agreed to start trying for a baby only three months ago. Surely these things took time? Her doctor told her that it might take a few months for her hormone levels to return to normal, and that it might take them several months before successful conception.

Yet here she was, telling him they were pregnant. And, oh, how he ached for it to be true.

He bolted up from his chair, and barely remembered to grab his briefcase, laptop, and car keys before he was sprinting to the car park.

He seemed to get behind every slow-moving vehicle in Oxford, and he grumbled under his breath as he looked at his arm again, making sure he hadn't made up the picture on his skin. He hadn't; Rose's drawing was still there, but beside it was a new word.

 _James?_

He cursed himself for not replying to her in his office, but he couldn't now, not when he was driving.

He broke far too many speed limits in his haste, but he finally turned onto their street and skidded to a stop in their driveway. He left everything in the car as he sprinted into the flat.

"Rose?" he called, spinning around rapidly wondering which room she'd be in.

Rose poked her head out of the downstairs loo, and James glided up to her.

"James, are you…?"

"Oh, Rose, my Rose!" He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in for a tight hug. Joy and hope and love swelled his heart until he was sure it was about to burst. "Is it true? Are we going to have a baby?"

"Yeah," Rose whispered into his neck, holding him just as tightly. "Yeah, c'mere."

Rose pulled away and took his hand to guide him into the bathroom. Three little plastic sticks were sitting beside the sink, and James clutched Rose's hand tightly as he looked down at them all. They all read the same thing: he was going to be a father.

He whooped out a laugh before he grabbed her around the waist to spin her around wildly. His heart throbbed with utter elation as Rose giggled in his ear.

"Oh, Rose," he murmured, setting her on her feet. He moved a hand from the small of her back until his fingertips brushed across her still-flat belly. "We're going to have a baby. We made a baby!"

The tenderness and awe in his voice made her eyes prickle, and she couldn't help but cup his cheeks and pull him down for a gentle kiss.

"Rose," he rasped when they pulled apart, and Rose's heart clenched when she saw his eyes were shining with moisture.

She reached up to cup his cheeks, and she stroked his skin softly as he nuzzled into her touch.

"I'm so happy," he whispered, leaning towards her until his forehead was resting against hers. "Oh, I'm _so happy!_ "

"So am I," she answered, slowly rubbing the tip of her nose across his. "I'm so… I didn't expect to get pregnant this soon. How lucky are we, eh?"

"The luckiest," James said, tilting his head to the side to brush his lips across hers.

oOoOo

James sat beside Rose, skimming through pamphlets and brochures as Rose gave her obstetrician—Doctor Ashwood—her medical history. He felt like they'd been there for hours, and if he hadn't been assured numerous times that this was routine, he would've been panicked that something was wrong with Rose or their baby.

"Okay, time for the last test," the doctor said happily. "Well, second to last. Pap smear. Would you, er, would you prefer privacy for this exam?"

James glanced up from reading the information about a nine-week-old fetus when he felt the doctor's eyes on him.

"No, he can stay," Rose said immediately. "It's nothing he hasn't seen before. Unless, er, unless you're uncomfortable with it, James?"

"Nope," he said. "As you said, it's nothing I haven't seen. Quite familiar with it, actually. S'why we're here, after all."

"Nutter," Rose mumbled, feeling her cheeks flame as the doctor smirked at the two of them.

"But your nutter," he said sweetly, and she couldn't help but grin at him.

James excitedly showed Rose the pamphlets he'd been skimming through as the doctor situated herself between Rose's thighs for the pap test. He read her all the facts about how big their baby was and how it would continue to grow over the next few months and about the changes Rose should be expecting of her body as it grew to accommodate their child.

"All right, I'm finished here," Doctor Ashwood announced several minutes later. "Now, for the final test. Would you like to see an ultrasound of your baby?"

James's lungs hitched and he heard Rose suck in a sharp breath.

"We-we can? Already?" he asked, reaching out for Rose's hand.

The doctor shrugged. "Don't see why not. I'm judging you to be eight to nine-ish weeks along. Should be big enough for us to hear a heartbeat, even."

James bounced his leg in nervous anticipation as the doctor grabbed a wand probe, a few cords, and her laptop. After taking a few minutes to set up her equipment, the doctor smeared a bit of clear gel over Rose's abdomen and rolled her probe around, staring intently at her computer.

Rose clasped his hand tightly and they waited with bated breath for the doctor to say something. Just when James was about to ask if something was wrong, the doctor beamed up at them from behind her laptop, and she spun her computer around to face them.

"There's your baby! Here's the head, and the body. Can just about make out the elbows, fingers, and toes," she announced, tracing her finger across the screen as she pointed out their baby's features. "And…"

The doctor pressed a button on the laptop, and the room was filled with a fast _whump-whump-whump_ sound. James's ears rang when he realized it was their baby's heartbeat.

"Our baby," he whispered hoarsely, leaning in close to the computer monitor. "Rose, our baby!"

"I see that," she whispered, her voice thick with tears. "Its heart is racing though!"

"Oh, that's normal," Doctor Ashwood assured. "One hundred and sixty beats per minutes. Very strong. Very healthy. Would you like a print out of the scan?"

"Yes, please," they said in unison, their eyes still glued to the computer screen.

And hour later, they were sitting on their sofa together, reading through all of the pamphlets and leaflets James had taken as they tried to absorb as much information as they could about what the coming months would hold for them. It was slow going, though, as they constantly got distracted by the sonogram photo and the short video clip of the ultrasound their doctor gave them.

"Y'know, we may want to start looking for a new flat," Rose suggested that night as she twirled her chopsticks through her Chinese takeaway. "I love our home. I really, really do. But I want the nursery to be on the same floor as our bedroom."

"Yeah, I agree," James sighed. He glanced around at their living room. He loved their flat. It was filled with such fond memories and firsts: the first time he made love to Rose, the place he asked her to become his wife, the place they conceived their first child. But even as his eyes skated across the place they'd made their home, he knew that these walls were just that: walls. Rose was where his home was, and now it was Rose and their child. Wherever they were, that was where his home would be.

"Shall we start browsing?" he asked, standing up to both clear their takeaway boxes and fetch his laptop.

Rose nodded, and he cleaned up their dinner then found his computer and snuggled in beside his wife again to start browsing for the place that would be their child's home.


	2. Chapter 2

"So, there's this cool new video we want you guys to watch," James said after he cleared away the dishes from dinner. "Rose, can you grab my mobile?"

"Got mine," she said, biting her lip to hide a smile.

"What's this video, then?" Jackie asked. "It's not one of those silly science explosion videos, is it?

"Oi! While those are cool, this is cooler. You'll love it," James promised, eagerly standing behind his dad and Jackie as they scooted their chairs closer to crowd around Rose's phone.

"Everyone ready?" she asked, turning up the volume on the phone.

She pressed the play button, and James stared reverently at the screen as a grainy image of a moving gray and white blob appeared, and a rapid _whump-whump-whump_ sound filled the room. He felt his heart stutter in response, as in love with the sound as he was six weeks ago when he'd first heard it.

"Is this… are you…?"

A slow smile split Robert's face just as Jackie shrieked, "Oh, my God, you're pregnant! This is my grandbaby! Isn't it? I swear to God, if you're messing about…"

"Yes, we're pregnant, Mum," Rose assured, letting Jackie yank her mobile out of her hand.

Rose leaned back in her chair, and James came up behind her to wrap his arms around her neck as they both watched the grandparents-to-be fawn over the video of their baby's latest ultrasound.

"Congratulations, you two!" Robert said, taking off his glasses before standing up to embrace his kids. "This is wonderful news!"

"How far along are you?" Jackie asked, setting Rose's phone down on the table. "Do you know if it's a boy or a girl? When are you due? Oh, this is such a surprise!"

"Thanks, Mum," Rose said, leaning into her mother's arms. She stood then and lifted her jumper far enough to reveal the small bump beginning to form between her hips. "About fourteen weeks gone. My doctor says I'm due around December seventeenth. Early Christmas present."

"Fourteen weeks, and you haven't told me?" Jackie demanded, even as she reached out and rested her hand on Rose's stomach.

"Well, we wanted to wait until the first trimester was over. Y'know… just in case…"

Her eyes flickered to Robert, and his face softened in understanding; he and Vera had announced the pregnancy far too soon with their first one, and the condolences of their friends and family after the miscarriage had made the pain of their loss more stinging.

"We don't know if it's a little girl or boy yet," James said, slowly massaging Rose's shoulders as he watched his father and his mother-in-law touch Rose's baby bump. "It's a bit too soon yet to get an accurate prediction. Hopefully at next month's appointment we can find out. If that's what you want, too, of course, Rose."

"Why wouldn't you want to know the sex?" Jackie asked. "We need to know if we're buying pink things or blue things!"

"Well, I'm not entirely certain—I _am_ new to this whole parenting thing, after all—but I don't think newborns particularly care about the color of their onesie," James drawled.

Jackie rolled her eyes and muttered something about a "stupid plum", before she asked, "And how are you feeling, sweetheart? Any nausea? Any weird cravings?"

"Not really," Rose asked, glancing up at James to confirm. "If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't even realize I was pregnant."

"You're a little tired more often," James countered, caressing the back of her neck with his thumbs. "But yeah, so far we've lucked out of most of the worst pregnancy symptoms."

"'We'?" Jackie scoffed. " _Rose_ has lucked out of the pregnancy symptoms."

"Oi, he's going through this, too!" Rose snapped, covering James's hand with hers when she felt him stiffen. She knew he already felt useless that he couldn't help care for their baby yet, and she would not have her mother make him feel bad about it either.

"Anyways," Robert said, trying to direct the conversation back to the happy occasion it was. "Doesn't matter if it's a boy or girl, does it? S'long as it's healthy. I am so happy and excited for you two."

"Thanks, Dad," Rose whispered, tilting her head up as he bent down to peck a kiss to her cheek.

Their parents left shortly afterwards, still reeling and giddy from the revelation that they were to be grandparents.

Robert made a pit stop in town before driving home to his flat, making his weekly errand a day early.

When he returned home a little while later with the small bouquet he had purchased, he immediately went to his bedroom and to the vase he kept on the bedside stand on the right side of the bed. He stuck the stems into the vase and filled it with water and the plant food, and he fretted over the flowers, arranging them until they were just perfect.

He then sat down on the edge of the bed and let his gaze linger on the bi-fold photo frame that contained his favorite photo of him and Vera at their wedding, and the photograph of him, Vera, and James at Napa Valley a few weeks before the accident.

He sighed and touched his fingertips to the small cylindrical pendant where he'd saved some of his wife's ashes.

"Hey, darling," he murmured. "Happy Saturday. A day early, I know. I have a good excuse this time. I went 'round to James and Rose's tonight for dinner, and you'll never believe it. Our little boy is expecting a little one of his own! Mad, isn't it? He and Rose are so excited. Oh, you'd be so proud of them, love. I sure am. Anyways. Listen to me, nattering on. Just wanted to tell you the good news. I'm gonna be a grandad. Can't wait."

Robert pressed a kiss to his fingertips and touched them to the pendant. "Love you, darling. Miss you."

oOoOo

Telling their parents that not only were they pregnant, but that Rose was hardly having any of the typical pregnancy symptoms seemed to tempt fate. James awoke the morning after the dinner with their parents to the sound of retching coming from their bathroom.

"Rose?" he asked, vaulting out of bed and rushing to her side. He crouched down beside her as she braced her forehead in her hand and her elbow on the toilet seat as she caught her breath. "All right, love?"

"Guess I jinxed it by saying I wasn't having any morning sickness," she mumbled.

"Come on," James murmured. "Let's get you back into bed. Do you feel like eating anything?"

Rose scrunched her nose and said, "Please, no food."

James furrowed his brow and rested the backs of his fingers against her forehead. She felt a little warm, but not warm enough to cause concern.

"All right, then," he whispered. "Bed, or do you want to rest on the couch?"

"Shower," she countered, pushing herself to her feet.

"Do you need any help?" James asked, steadying her with an arm around her waist.

"You just want to see me naked," she teased, poking her tongue out at him.

He snorted. "Must be feeling all right if you can joke about sex. Seriously, though. I don't want you passing out."

"Thanks, but I'll be fine," Rose said. "Keep the door open. I'll shout if I need you."

James nodded and pressed a kiss to her temple before stepping out of their en suite to start on breakfast. Rose said she didn't want anything, but maybe she'd change her mind after a shower, so James set about making foods that would hopefully be easy on her stomach.

He nibbled at a slice of toast as he waited for the kettle to boil and the eggs to fry, all while keeping his ears peeled for a shout from Rose. He exhaled in relief when he heard her coming downstairs.

"God, what's that _smell_?"

Rose entered the kitchen with her arm covering her nose.

"What's wrong?" he asked, glancing around at the food.

"I don't know. Making me dizzy," she said apologetically, before she retreated from the kitchen and down the hall to the home office.

James cursed under his breath and opened up the windows to try and air out the flat before taking off after her.

"Rose, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't realize the smell would bother you so much."

"S'all right," she sighed. "Hasn't bothered me before now. You couldn't've known."

"Still feel bad," he whispered, sitting down on the sofa beside her. "Can I get you anything?"

"Really not hungry," she answered. "Maybe later."

"Cuppa tea?" he asked. "You need to stay hydrated. I've stocked up on peppermint tea. Think that'll help?"

"Sure. Let's give it a try. Maybe lunch will sound more appetizing."

Lunch time came and went, and Rose was still half nauseous and completely uninterested in food and elected to continue napping on the couch as random Netflix films cycled through on the TV.

"Please, love, you need to eat," James pleaded at dinnertime, raking his fingers through his hair as he rifled through their cabinets. "Soup? Crackers? A sandwich? I can go out and pick something up. Anything at all."

"M'not hungry," Rose mumbled, pulling a blanket over her head as she tried to not even think of food lest her stomach roll more than it already was. "Just let me sleep. M'tired."

"Because you haven't eaten all day!" he exploded. "This is scaring me!"

"Well, I'm sorry, but anything I swallow down is gonna come right back up!" she snapped. "Just let me rest, James! If I still can't eat in the morning, we can phone the doctor."

James groaned in frustration and let the pantry door slam shut. He went through all of the cupboards and the fridge again, hoping to come across something Rose could stomach. A quick pass of the top of the fridge found him a food that could pass as his dinner, and he peeled his banana and munched on it as he glared at the wall.

"James, relax," Rose said, walking into the kitchen to presumably refill her mug. "I feel fine. Mostly. Stop worrying."

"Impossible," he said. He filled the kettle, flicked it on, and took another bite before saying, "I will always worry about you. And our child."

But Rose wasn't listening to him. She instead was staring at the fruit in his hand with an odd look on her face.

"Rose?" He followed her line of sight, and cringed when he realized what he was eating. Rose disliked bananas on a normal day; seeing and smelling one today probably set her off again. "I'm sorry, I'll take this to another room."

"No, don't," she said, walking up to him. "I'm… I dunno. Hang on…"

She pinched off a piece of his banana, and James watched with a raised eyebrow as she licked it off her finger.

"Ehm, Rose?"

"Can I have a bite?" she asked shyly, sucking on her finger to get all of the banana off.

James laughed in relief and thrust the rest of his banana at her.

"You can have the rest if it means you'll eat," he said, and he beamed when she scarfed down the whole thing. "Want another?"

"Yes, please," she said, tossing the peel in the trash. "How many more have we got?"

"Two," James said, peeling one for her. "But believe me, I will go and buy out all of Oxford's grocers if it's something you'll eat."

Rose laughed at him, and took her banana and refilled mug of tea back to the living room.

While her sickness wasn't as dramatic as it was that first day, Rose was disheartened to find she still felt ill in the mornings and was completely turned off of her favorite foods. James, while pleased that she was eating more regularly, grew concerned that she wasn't getting the proper nutrients she needed from meals that were mostly comprised of bananas and peanut butter.

He'd made a note to check with their doctor about how to better supplement her diet, but a few days before Rose's twenty-week appointment, her finicky stomach cleared up.

They still informed Doctor Ashwood, though, just to make sure nothing was amiss. But the doctor proclaimed that both mother and baby were as healthy as they could be.

"All right, now," the doctor said as she set up her computer for an ultrasound scan. "Ready to find out if you're having a little boy or girl?"

"Yes!"

James clutched Rose's hand tight as they watched the grainy image of their baby appear on the screen. His son or his daughter…

"Congratulations," the doctor said with a grin. "You're having a little girl."

A girl! A little girl! His daughter!

James choked out a delighted laugh and wrapped his arm around Rose's shoulders. They were having a baby daughter!

"Hope she looks just like you," he murmured when they got home, a new sonogram photo in hand. "My two precious girls."

"Nah, I hope she gets some of you," Rose countered. "Your freckles, for one. And your hair."

"It is pretty great hair, isn't it?" he preened, tilting his head to the side to tickle her nose with the strands.

The sound of her giggles made warmth bubble deep in his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her to hold her close. God, he loved her. And he loved their little girl so much, too.

He was so excited to meet her, to hold her, and to make her laugh as often as he could. There was so much waiting for her in the world, and he couldn't wait to explore it with his daughter.

oOoOo

Rose cursed as she stretched out her fingers, wincing at how tight the skin felt.

"C'mon," she growled, twisting her rings around her fingers to get them on. She'd taken them off the night before when she noticed the bands were cutting into her skin, but she couldn't seem to get them back on, and she was getting frustrated with trying.

"All right?" James asked, stepping into their room in his boxers as he rubbed a towel through his damp hair.

"No," she grumbled, still working at the metal. "Rings won't go on."

"Let me see?"

He stepped up in front of her and took her hands in his. She'd managed to work her wedding and engagement rings down to the knuckle, and they were already compressing into her skin.

"Sorry, love," he whispered, kissing the back of her hand before he wiggled the rings off her finger.

"No!" Rose snapped. "Give those to me. I'll get them on."

"If you get them on, you'll never get them off again. They'll cut off circulation to your fingers and they'll swell even more than they are already," James soothed.

"Got bloody sausage fingers," Rose mumbled, furiously blinking away the stinging in her eyes.

"Cute sausages, though," James said, giving her hands a squeeze.

"I just want to wear my rings," Rose whimpered, and James startled when her voice cracked with tears.

"Rose, it's not a big deal," he promised, sitting down on the bed beside her. "You not wearing your rings doesn't make us any less married. Your body is changing, is all. It's producing loads of blood and fluid to help our little girl grow and thrive, and it's softening you up in preparation for our daughter's birth. Your body is doing such an amazing thing, it's beautiful."

Rose sniffled and tucked her head under his chin.

"I suppose it is, yeah," she agreed, brushing her fingertips across her growing belly.

"It is," he said firmly. "I would help you, if I could, but I can't do much apart from keeping you comfy and happy."

"You're doing brilliantly," she assured when she heard the frustration in his voice. "You've been taking such good care of me. You spoil me."

"Well, you deserve it," he said simply, giving her a quick squeeze. "Are you up for a bit of shopping today? We can tick off a few more supplies for the baby, and we can get you some more clothes, if you want?"

"Yeah, sure," Rose said, reluctantly setting her rings on her bedside table. "Can you do me a favor and grab my sandals for me?"

James moved to the corner of the room and found her shoes before he dropped to his knees in front of her and started slipping them on.

Just as he got the second shoe on her, Rose felt her stomach roll. Not as though she were about to be sick, but more like she was hungry. But she wasn't hungry; she and James had just finished up their breakfast. Muscle spasms, maybe?

The spasm happened again, in a different spot, and Rose gasped when she realized what it was. She pressed her hand to her belly as the rippling sensation fluttered through her again.

"What? What is it? Are you all right? Rose? Rose, talk to me!" James pleaded, balling his hands into fists against her thighs.

"I felt her move!" Rose whispered excitedly. She reached down for his hand and pulled it to her stomach, resting it where she last felt movement. "I can feel her, James!"

Wonder and awe slackened his face, and he pressed his palm to her stomach.

"I can't feel anything," he said, frustrated.

"Hang on…"

Rose pressed her fingertips to her belly, looking for the twitching spasm, and when she found it, she quickly replaced her fingers with James's.

"Right there," she said. "Feels a bit like a muscle spasm. But it's not."

"Oh!" he whispered, looking up at her with amazement shining in his eyes. "Rose!"

"Feel her?" she grinned.

"I do! Oh, Rose! This is… She's…"

James stood up and pressed a hard kiss to her mouth. Rose buried her fingers in his hair and massaged his scalp as she lost herself to the pleasure of the kiss.

The summer marched on, with James and Rose gradually stocking up on baby supplies while simultaneously searching for a new home. They finally found a small bungalow in a quaint neighborhood just outside the city limits. It seemed perfect for what they needed, and it even had an extra bedroom if they decided to expand their family further.

A few days after the start of autumn found them signing the paperwork for a mortgage and the deed to the house. Their first proper house.

"Oh, it's perfect," Rose sighed as she and James walked through the house that was only half-unpacked.

"It is, isn't it?" he murmured, wrapping his arm around her waist and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He rested his hand on her swollen stomach and whispered, "Welcome home, my loves."

oOoOo

James grunted in her ear as he stiffened above her, trembling and moaning lowly through his release. Rose cradled him against her, murmuring words of love into his ear as she stroked his back with her fingers and his bum with her feet.

He lowered his weight carefully, keeping most of it off of her as he nuzzled into her neck. She loved seeing him like this, completely consumed by pleasure and bliss, and while she didn't join him in it, she still enjoyed seeing him lost to it.

"Love you," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek before he lifted up and began to roll off of her.

He paused though, and his eyes flitted across her face.

"Didn't you come?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"Nah, didn't need to," she assured.

His frown deepened as he said, "Are you sure? I can go down…?"

Rose shook her head and reached out to keep him from dropping between her thighs. At nearly seven months pregnant, she really wasn't all that interested in sex. She was just too uncomfortable to completely enjoy it, or relax enough to derive pleasure from it.

"I'm fine, James," she said. "I don't need to finish to have fun with it. As long as you enjoyed it, that's good enough for me."

James's lips pressed into a thin line as he silently crawled off of her and walked to their en suite. Rose sighed and scrubbed her hands across her face; she hoped she hadn't dented his ego too badly, but she just wasn't in the mood—for sex or for telling him that she wasn't interested in sex.

James returned a moment later with a warm flannel, and he gently wiped her clean, and the tenderness behind his motions reassured her slightly. However, when he crawled back into bed and lay stiffly on his back, that relief was gone.

She shifted to her side and rested her hand against his stomach.

"Talk to me, love," she murmured, rubbing slow circles into his skin with her thumb.

He was silent for several long moments, and Rose kept caressing his ribs as she waited for him to tell her what was bothering him.

Her patience was rewarded a minute later when he whispered, "Did I just… _force_ myself on you?"

The agony in his voice lanced through her, and she moved her hand up to cup his cheek, tilting his head towards her so she could look him in the eye. The misery in his face made a hard knot lodge in her chest, and she vehemently said, "No! Not at all, James!"

"But you weren't interested in it, were you?" he asked, staring at a point behind her shoulder.

Rose bit her lip and finally admitted, "Not really."

James groaned and turned his head away from her as he pressed his palms into his eyes and mumbled a string of unintelligible curses.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered raggedly. "I'm so, so sorry, Rose. Why didn't you just say no?"

"Hey, look at me," Rose commanded gently, scooting closer to him. She waited until he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye before she continued. "You didn't do anything wrong. Okay? I didn't mind what we just did. I promise. And I promise you that if I really don't want to have a shag, I'll let you know, okay?"

James didn't look all that convinced, but he nodded anyway.

Rose curled up beside him as best she could and rested her cheek against his shoulder. She slowly massaged her fingertips through his chest hair and trailed her foot up his shin for several minutes until she felt his muscles relax completely.

"I love you," she murmured into his skin.

"As I love you," he replied. "Care for a bit of breakfast in bed?"

Rose grinned and nodded. "First, care to help a soulmate to the loo?"


	3. Chapter 3

_Violet. Daisy. Lily. Ivy._

Rose glanced at her arm, as she waited for her lunch to heat up in the microwave.

"I think you've got a theme going," she teased. "And those names are lovely, but I don't want to be That Family where all the girls have flower names."

 _Hmm, I see your point. It'd be cute though… I could call you both my little Bouquet. And we could keep adding to it?_

Rose snorted and shook her head at her daft soulmate. "How about we focus on this one first, then we can talk about more, yeah?"

 _Just putting it on your radar._

"Consider it pinged," she replied. "Why is it so difficult to pick a name?"

She sighed and rested her hand on her swollen belly. At seven months, their little girl didn't have a name yet, and she was worried they'd still be debating names in the delivery room.

 _Because she's going to be our perfect little girl, and she'll need the most perfect name. We'll get there, love. And in a pinch, we could just name her The Baby_.

"No, ta," Rose wrote, rolling her eyes.

 _Okay, gotta run. See you after lab. Love you._

"Love you."

Rose sighed as she pocketed her pen and retrieved her bowl of soup from the microwave. She had no idea how James was managing to stay so calm; she felt on the verge of a breakdown every time she made a list in her head of everything they still needed for their baby, and the list seemed to grow longer and more daunting with every passing day.

The nursery was hardly stocked, nor was is painted, and Rose feared that if it didn't get painted within the next couple of weeks, the paint fumes would still be lingering in the air when they brought their little girl home and it would irritate her lungs and she'd get sick and they'd have to take her into the hospital, but how could they check her in when she didn't even have a name?

"Rose? Rose, are you all right?"

She jumped when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and only then was she aware of the tight pressure in her chest and the dark spots in her vision.

"Fine," she lied, concentrating more than she should have to in order to take deep, steady breaths. "Just getting jittery thinking of all the baby stuff James and I still need."

"Aww, I remember going through that," her supervisor said sympathetically. "But you haven't even had your baby shower yet. Trust me, baby showers are a godsend; your nursery will be overflowing with supplies by the end of it."

Rose smiled weakly, and used that knowledge to comfort herself. She just had to trust in herself and James that they would manage to have everything together for when their daughter arrived in December.

oOoOo

"What's this?" Jackie asked, scrolling through the email James just sent her.

"The guest list," James said, confused. "Did it not go through properly?"

"It did, but there are men on this list," Jackie said. "A baby shower is a girls' day."

"No, a baby shower is a party to celebrate the _baby_ ," James said impatiently. "It's a day to be with friends and family so Rose and I can celebrate the impending arrival of our daughter. I don't think the baby particularly cares if there are men at the shower."

"But it's tradition to—"

"Yeah, maybe back in your day," James snorted, and Rose frowned at him and mouthed ' _rude_ '.

"Oi! What's that supposed to mean?" Jackie shrieked.

Rose sighed and took James's phone from him, and said, "Mum, James and I want a small get-together with our closest friends and family. Men and women both."

"Men don't find baby showers very interesting," Jackie warned. "There's lots of cooing at baby clothes and birthing stories and—"

"If anyone starts sharing birthing stories, I'll kick them out of the house myself," Rose snapped. "I'm nervous enough to push a human being out of my body, I don't want to hear everyone else's woes about it."

"You'll do brilliantly, love," James murmured, resting his hand on her thigh.

"You asked for a guest list, and that's who we want at the shower," Rose said, her tone leaving no room for arguing. "It's _our_ shower, and _we_ will invite whoever _we_ want. Respect our decision, or consider yourself uninvited."

Rose angrily pressed her finger to the red phone icon and set his mobile on the coffee table.

"Blimey, and you call me rude," James teased, wrapping his arm around Rose.

"She makes me so frustrated sometimes," Rose growled. "It's like she always knows better than me!"

"She's just trying to help," James soothed.

"She can help by sodding off and letting me actually have control over my life and my family," she muttered, leaning into James's chest.

The following morning, Rose awoke to a text from her mother.

 _I was out of line yesterday. Let me take you to lunch as an apology?_

Rose sighed and rubbed her temples. She was still irritated with her mum, but she knew she should let Jackie apologize.

"All right, love?" James mumbled, rolling close to her and draping a leg across hers.

"Mum wants to take me to lunch," Rose said. "Apologize for yesterday."

"That's nice of her," he said, nuzzling sleepily into her neck.

Rose frowned at the top of his head.

"Did you put her up to this?"

"Hmm? What? Why d'you say that?"

"Because you're always giving my mum a tongue-lashing whenever she upsets me," Rose said.

"True," James allowed. "But no. Not this time. Was about to, when I woke up, but she beat me to it. Let her apologize, love. It's nice of her to realize she upset you and want to make it up to you."

Rose grumbled, and grabbed her phone and reluctantly agreed to meet her mum at her favorite Chinese place in town.

oOoOo

James was helping Jackie and her mate Bev hang the personalized banner they'd bought, and beamed when the words _Welcome Baby Girl Tyler-McCrimmon_ hung proudly over the mantel. But the sound of a hitched breath and then a sob made a cold weight settle in his stomach.

He jumped down off of his chair when he saw his wife run out of the room, and he jogged after her.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's the matter?" he asked, following her into what would be their baby's nursery. "Is everything all right? Are you feeling all right?"

"Baby Girl Tyler-McCrimmon!" she managed to hiccup.

"Yeah?" he said, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"Baby Girl!" she sobbed. "I don't want to call her Baby Girl! I want her to have a name!"

James gawped at Rose, speechless. He stepped up to his wife and carefully pulled her into his arms.

"Rose, love, relax," he whispered, rubbing his hand across her back.

"How can I relax when we're so unprepared?" Rose shouted, pushing away from James. She spun around the room, gesturing to the most empty-space. "We have _nothing!_ No crib, no changing table, no rocking chair! Hardly any clothes or nappies! No _car seat!_ We can't bring her home without a car seat! We haven't painted the room yet! We… we… we…"

Rose gasped in shuddering breaths as her face crumpled once more, and James helplessly wrapped her in another embrace as he tried to figure out what he could do or say to make her feel better.

"How are we doing in here?"

Jackie walked into the room, and Rose sobbed even harder when she saw her mum.

"Oh, hush now, sweetheart," Jackie said gently, tugging Rose in for a hug. "You're okay. Everything's gonna be okay."

"It's not!" she moaned miserably. "What was I thinking, thinking I was ready for a baby? I can't do this! I shouldn't've done this!"

James's heart fell into his stomach, and he felt a surge of anger at Rose for even suggesting that their daughter was a mistake.

"Don't you say that, Rose Tyler-McCrimmon," Jackie said firmly, grabbing Rose by the shoulders to look at her. "You and James are going to be the best parents there are. Don't focus on the things you don't have for her yet. Those are material things you and himself can buy online later tonight once you see what your friends have brought you. But none of that stuff matters. What matters is you and James love this baby more than anything. You love her so much that you're crying over not having the walls painted for her when—as it was rudely pointed out to me—she's not going to care about colors."

James smirked at his mother-in-law overtop of Rose's head, and he felt a rush of gratitude for Jackie in this moment for helping them put it into perspective.

"You have a safe and loving home for your baby, and that's really the most important part," Jackie said, reaching out to wipe away Rose's tears. "You hear me?"

Rose nodded and sniffled, and she leaned back into her mum's arms. Jackie pressed a kiss to Rose's forehead and said, "Take a minute, get yourself together. I think I heard the doorbell. Either it's an early arrival or the catering."

As she left, James carefully stepped up to his wife and rubbed her back.

"All right, love?"

"Yeah," she murmured, wiping at her eyes. "Sorry 'bout that."

"Your hormones are a bit out of whack," James said, tugging a tissue out of his pocket for her. "Just… Please don't ever say anything that implies you regret our baby ever again."

Rose's eyes watered again and she dropped her hand to cup her belly.

"I'm sorry," she whimpered, her face crumpling again. "I didn't mean that! I don't regret her… not at all! I just got so scared! What kind of mum am I gonna be if I—?"

"The best mum," James interrupted firmly, covering Rose's hand with his. "Listen carefully because this is going to be the only time I say this… But your mother was right."

He pulled an exaggerated grimace, and was pleased when it got the reaction he'd hoped for: Rose burst into a fit of giggles.

"The important thing is that we love our baby unconditionally and eternally, for the rest of our lives," he said. "Everything else is just details. And no matter what, we're in this together."

Rose smiled up at him, and she lifted her arms to wrap around his neck. He held her tight for just a moment before he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Go rinse your face with cool water, and touch up your makeup if you want," he suggested, ushering her across the hall to their bedroom. "I'll start welcoming the guests."

The doorbell rang just as he exited the nursery, and he jogged to the front door to open it.

"Hi, Dad," he said, relieved to see his father after the morning he'd just had.

"Hey, mate. Good to see you!" Robert walked into the house carrying a large, wrapped box, which James took from him to set in the living room next to the growing pile of gifts.

"Still haven't decided on a name, yet, eh?" Robert asked, nodding to the banner above the mantel.

James grimaced. "Ugh. Don't say that too loudly."

"Why, what's wrong?" Robert asked.

"Rose got a little overwhelmed when she realized how much stuff we don't have yet for the baby, including a name," James said.

"It'll come to you," Robert assured.

"Been trying for nearly five months now, and we still haven't narrowed it down," James said, frustrated. "It's just… nothing seems good enough, y'know?"

"James, I promise you, you'll love whatever name you give her, because it belongs to your little girl. It becomes part of her, and you can't help but love it," Robert said, rubbing a hand soothingly down James's arm.

James smiled at his dad, mollified, and then he made a round through the room to welcome everyone to their new home and thank them for coming to celebrate with them.

Being around friends and family seemed to help Rose's mood improve, and as the party wore on and they played a bunch of ridiculously cliché games and ate the food her mum had ordered, James was glad to see Rose's smile become more and more genuine.

Part way through the shower, he spotted Rose talking softly with his dad in kitchen, and they both had their hands on her belly. Seeing his wife and his dad together brought such warmth to his heart, but he sighed and closed his eyes, sparing a quiet moment for his mum as he wished yet again that she could be there celebrating with them.

"All right?" Rose had asked, seeing him standing at the doorway quietly.

"'Course," he said, walking up to the kitchen island to get another plateful of nibbles. "Just wish Mum were here, is all."

"She'd be so proud of you, you know," Robert said. "The both of you."

"I know," James murmured. "Anyways… ready to open gifts?"

He filled up a plate with food enough for the both of them before he ushered her back into the living room. Jackie and Robert traded duties of handing them gifts, and they were both delighted and thankful that so many of their friends and family were helping them get ready for their little girl.

"How are you feeling?" James asked as they lounged on the sofa that night. He had his laptop open and they were ticking items off the baby registry as they organized the pile of gifts their friends and family had bought for their daughter.

"Loads better than this morning," she said sheepishly, feeling slightly embarrassed over her complete breakdown.

"Good," he said, pressing a kiss to her temple. "See, look at everything we have now. Not too bad, if I say so myself. We can go out this weekend, if you want? Get some more stuff? Ooh, or we could look at paint? Figure out how we want to decorate the nursery? Then once that's done, we can get furniture that'll match?"

"Painting sounds nice," Rose said, stifling a yawn against his shoulder. "I've sketched a few ideas for her room. I'll show you this week, then we can decide on a palette?"

"Perfect."

That was how the next weekend found them wearing old clothes and slowly transforming the walls of the nursery from off-white to soft lavender. Rose showed off her artistic prowess by painting a flowing, flowering tree across the wall overlooking the crib, and James watched in awe as she used shades of gray for the bark and the branches, and hues of white and silver for the flower buds.

"Our daughter is the luckiest girl in the universe to have a mummy like you to make her such a beautiful room," James murmured when Rose set down her paintbrushes.

She beamed at him, and then turned back around to admire her handiwork. James rested his chin on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist to hug her tightly, feeling so proud of his wife and so eager for their daughter to arrive.

Now that the walls were done, it was a simple matter of finding furniture. They decided on white for the crib, changing table, and rocking chair—a splash of light against the dark hardwood floors—and the cushions decorating the furniture were light purple, a perfect complement to the walls they'd painted.

"All that's missing is a baby to put in this room," James joked as he sat on the floor while Rose sat in the rocking chair, each of them working on their second slice of pizza.

"Nine more weeks," she said wistfully, rubbing at her belly as their daughter kicked and squirmed. "I can't wait."

oOoOo

 _Bridget_.

"Elena."

 _Charlotte_.

"Nicole."

 _Amelia_.

"Ava."

 _We're never going to decide, are we?_

James sighed and scrubbed his hands across his face. With seven weeks to go until their daughter's due date, the only thing they had yet to prepare for her was her name.

"We will, love," he promised, hoping he was right. His dad's words—that they would love whatever name they decided on—were still fresh in his mind, and he was holding on to that hope.

 _Doesn't feel like it. Is it my suggestions? Are my name choices all atrocious and you're just too bloody nice to me to say anything?_

"No, love, that's not it at all!" James said. "I'm just… this feels like such an important decision, y'know? I want to make sure we've covered all of our bases. And anyways, I've been keeping track of the names I particularly liked. Got a journal of potentials in my bedside table."

 _You do?_

"Yup. Every time you've suggested a name I liked, I wrote it down, along with the names I liked. Maybe we can go through that tonight? See if we can't begin to narrow it down?"

 _Yeah, I'd like that. Thanks, James._

"Of course. I promise, we won't be carrying an unnamed baby home from the hospital. She'll have a name, and we'll love it so much because it's our daughter's, and we love her so much already."

 _Yeah, you're right. That's a good way to think about it._

"I can't take credit for that one," he admitted. "Dad told me that before your baby shower."

 _Ahh, I should've known that's something he would say. He's so good at that. At giving advice and keeping us calm, y'know._

"Yeah, he is," James said, and the anxiety that had been gradually building for the last month or so swelled through him again. He was going to be a father to a little human he made with Rose, and it was his job to keep her safe, and happy, and loved, but oh, there were so many ways he could muck it all up. "Do you think…"

 _Think what, love?_

"Do you think I'll be any good at that?" he asked. "At giving our daughter advice and making her feel better after she has a chat with me?"

 _Of course! And I'm not just saying that to make you feel better. You are so much like your dad in that regard. Every word that comes out of your mouth brings me so much comfort, because it's spoken by someone who loves me so much. And yeah, sometimes I know you're full of shit, but that's okay because you're trying and I love you for it. So yeah. You have nothing to worry about, love. You are going to be the best dad ever._

James exhaled raggedly in relief, trying his hardest to believe his wife, and hoping that she was right.

"Thanks, Rose. Love you. I'm heading home in a minute. Need me to pick anything up while I'm out?"

 _Pizza?_

James chuckled. Rose had been craving pizza for the last month or so, to the point where he was on first-name basis with most of the pizzeria staff in town. They were all excited for the arrival of his daughter too, once they realized he was buying pizza on a regular basis for his pregnant wife.

"As my lovely wife wishes," he said. "See you soon."

Thirty minutes later, he was settled on the couch beside Rose, each of them with a plate of pizza. James opened up the journal and together they started reading through the names he'd scrawled through the pages over the months.

By the time the first yawn overtook Rose, they'd narrowed it down to about a dozen names.

"We've made quite a bit of progress tonight," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair as he closed the book and set it on the coffee table beside the pizza box. "Let's sleep on it and come back to it tomorrow?"

Rose nodded, and grunted as she lifted herself to her feet.

"Blimey, I'm not sure how I can get much bigger than this," she grumbled, pressing her hands to her lower back where an ever-present ache had taken up residence.

"Your body will accommodate it." James shrugged. "You're still the most beautiful woman in the solar system."

"Just the solar system, eh?" Rose teased with a tongue-touched smile.

"Yeah, sorry, got a girl the next galaxy over who's got you beat by a hair," he murmured, walking up to her and resting his hands on her hips.

"Shame," she whispered, looping her arms around his neck. "Who is this girl who's stolen my husband's attentions?"

"No one you know. Descended from tree-folk. Bark for skin. Vines for hair and fingers. Very sexy."

To his surprise, Rose averted her gaze and bit her lip.

"I know we've not… But you don't… Are you… Because I'm not interested in sex?"

James gaped down at his wife, his teasing suddenly forgotten at the very real vulnerability he heard in her voice.

"What? No! God, no! Rose, look at me." He placed his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up until he could look into her eyes. "You are the sexiest woman in the universe."

"Not just the solar system?" she laughed weakly.

"Nope, the entire universe," he said firmly. "Not much into tree-folk, honestly. Too many splinters. You, on the other hand. You're so soft and warm and are my favorite human being ever. I don't mind that we haven't made love recently. It's okay. I can't imagine how uncomfortable you must be, caring for our daughter and keeping her so safe and healthy. I can't possibly thank you enough."

Rose gave him a small smile and leaned into his chest for a hug. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, hoping to squeeze away any insecurities.

"Sorry," she chuckled. "Being daft."

"Just a bit," he said, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. "But it's all right. You are the love of my life. Never doubt that."

"I don't," she assured. "As I said… just being a bit daft. C'mon. Let's go to bed."

The next morning, Rose awoke before James, as was becoming the norm. She was up every few hours, either because she needed to pee, or because their daughter was dancing around inside of her. This time, it was both.

She grunted as she pushed herself up and out of bed, trying to be as quiet as possible to keep from waking James. When she came back into their room, relieved and refreshed, she was happy to see him still asleep.

She crawled back into bed and lay down beside her husband. He stirred and rolled onto his back, and his eyes cracked open slightly. He smiled at her, and mumbled something that she thought was an "I love you", before he rolled away from her and hugged their duvet to his chest. He twisted his hips so one of his legs was draped across her shins, and Rose envied him the flexibility, and the ability to find comfort even in the most contorted position.

She was too alert and their baby was too active for her to go back to sleep, but she'd found a comfortable enough position that she didn't want to start her day yet. So she grabbed her phone and started mindlessly flicking through her apps as she rubbed her stomach every time the baby kicked or elbowed her. She checked the weather and the news, and then opened her email to take a look at the journal articles her supervisor had sent her to peruse at her leisure.

She skimmed through the articles on new and upcoming photography techniques, and she was about to close out of her phone in favor of a cuddle with her husband when the author's name caught her eye. C.S. Ainsley.

 _Ainsley_.

Rose rolled the name around in her head and found that she really liked it. Now, to see if James would be in agreement…

She reached across James for the journal of baby names he'd set on his bedside table last night to add 'Ainsley' to the finalized list of potential names.

"Oops, sorry love," she whispered when he woke up again from her moving around. "Go back to sleep."

"M'kay," he murmured, rolling over to face her again. He nuzzled up against her and tossed his leg across hers as he let his eyes flutter shut.

She could tell he wasn't completely asleep though, but he was completely relaxed. She mindlessly petted his hair as she opened up the journal to the page they'd ended at last night and scribbled down the name.

"What've you got there?" he mumbled, rubbing his fists across his eyes as he arched his back in a lying-down stretch. He opened his eyes and saw the book in her hands. "Narrow it down further for us?"

"Added a new name," she admitted, and James sat up and stuffed a pillow behind his back to mirror her position.

"And what name is that?" he asked, scanning down the list of names they'd come up with as final contenders.

"I-I saw it in an article I was reading this morning," she said, chewing her lip as she watched his face.

"Ainsley," he murmured, and Rose felt hopeful at the tenderness in his voice as he seemed to cradle the name on his tongue. "Ainsley. Aaaainsley. Ainsley Tyler-McCrimmon."

"D'you like it?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I do," he said, resting his head on her shoulder. "I really do. Ainsley."

He rubbed his hand across her belly, tickling his fingers around her belly button before moving down to cradle the skin over her uterus in his palm.

"Our little Ainsley," he murmured. "What do you think? Is this the one? The name we've been looking for all these months?"

"Yeah," she whispered, and she twined her fingers through his hair to coax his head back for a kiss. "Yeah, I think it is."


	4. Chapter 4

James felt the bed dip as Rose crawled back in, and he rolled over to spoon against her. She opened her arms for him and cradled his head against her chest as he idly traced his fingers across her bulging belly.

"All right last night?" he asked, brushing his lips across the top of her breast. Rose had been restless for most of the night, tossing and turning and getting up to use the loo half a dozen times.

"Ainsley was quite active," Rose admitted, grimacing as she felt her kick. "And I dunno… I'm exhausted, but I feel like I need to get up and move around and… and _do_ something."

"Sorry, love," he said, rubbing his hand across her lower belly. "Perhaps it's that nesting instinct we read about?"

"Maybe," Rose sighed, idly stroking her fingers through his hair. "Whatever it is, it's annoying. I hope the next month doesn't pass like this."

James hummed in sympathy and nuzzled closer to Rose, massaging her belly and enjoying the feel of his daughter moving strongly beneath his palm.

"Fancy breakfast in bed?" James asked, tilting his head up to look at Rose. "Before too long, those will have to be put on hold."

"Yeah, that sounds nice," Rose said. "You make the food while I shower?"

"It's a deal," James said, rolling out of bed to help Rose out too.

Twenty minutes later, James walked into their bedroom as Rose was rubbing a towel through her hair. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. Her top was pulled tight over her stomach, showing just how pregnant she was, and he thought—not for the first time—that he was the luckiest man in the universe to be able to call this gorgeous woman his.

"I can't say I'll miss being pregnant," Rose said, tossing her towel into the hamper as she eased her way back into bed. She arranged the pillows behind her and leaned back against them, sighing in relief as she found a reasonably comfortable position.

"While you look stunning, I'll have to agree," James said, walking up to her to set their tray at the foot of their bed. "I am so eager to meet our little girl."

He slid into bed beside her and pressed a kiss to his fingertips, which he rested on her stomach.

"Me too," Rose said wistfully.

As they ate, they chatted idly about all of the baby stuff they'd accumulated over the last few months, trying to make sure they had everything they could possibly need for Ainsley.

"Up to doing anything today?" James asked, collecting their empty dishes. "Bit of shopping? Out for a walk? Visiting Dad or your mum?"

"I think I just want to stay in," Rose said, wincing as she sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Everything all right?" he asked nervously.

"Just have to pee." Rose sighed. "Again. And my back is killing me."

James helped pull her to her feet and watched her shuffle off to the toilet.

He brought their dishes to the kitchen and filled the sink with hot, soapy water as he tried to think of something he and Rose could do today. Truthfully, Rose wasn't the only one experiencing the nesting instinct; he, too, was getting anxious for their baby to arrive. He felt like they weren't ready and that he needed to double check everything they had for Ainsley and make sure her crib was assembled properly and that they had enough clothes and nappies and blankets and toys and…

He heard Rose coming down the hall, and he forced himself to take a deep breath. If Rose saw how worked up he was getting, it would only set her off too.

Soothing himself with the knowledge that he and Rose had everything they needed for their daughter when she arrived next month, he returned his attention back to the plate in his hand. And if he or Rose thought of something in the next five weeks, it was a simple matter of running out to get it or ordering it online. They were completely ready.

"J-James?"

Chills shot up his spine at the terror and panic he heard in her voice, and he dropped the plate, ignoring the splattering of soapy water as he spun around towards Rose's call of his name.

She was leaning against the doorframe with tears in her eyes and her hands cupped under her belly, half bent over. James's leg started trembling so hard he feared they were about to give way under him when Rose whimpered, "James, something's wrong."

 _Oh, no, please,_ he begged, rushing over to his wife on numb legs.

"What is it?" he asked, frantically fluttering his hands around her belly. "What's wrong?"

"I think I'm in labor," she moaned as a cramp rippled through her. "I was on the loo, and I was bleeding, and then there was this fluid… I think my water broke… Oh, God, it's too early!"

"Breathe, love," James said faintly, trying to stay calm despite his racing heart. Their baby wasn't due for another thirty-four days; she was too little yet. "I'll get us to the hospital."

James grabbed the duffle bag of clothes he and Rose had packed last week, grateful that they'd thought to do it so soon, before he ushered her to their car.

"Breathe, Rose," he reminded as he heard her gasping with sobs. He reversed out of their driveway and sped through their neighborhood much faster than was safe as he made his way to the motorway. "Just breathe."

"She's not due yet," Rose cried, wrapping her arms around her belly as though she could physically hold Ainsley inside of her until her due date. "She's not supposed to be here 'til Christmastime!"

"She'll be fine, love," James said, assuring Rose as much as himself. His brain frantically scanned for the facts he'd absorbed about their baby's development at the age she was now, but he couldn't seem to think past his panic. "She's thirty-five weeks. She's far enough along that she'll be okay. She'll be fine. She'll be perfect."

James took her hand and gave it a squeeze, praying with every fiber of his being that what he was saying would hold true.

They were admitted to the hospital as soon as they arrived and were taken to a private room.

A doctor examined Rose and told them that everything looked good, that both baby and mother were healthy; the baby just seemed to want to be born early, as evidenced by Rose already being five centimeters dilated.

James clung to the doctor's proclamation that his wife and daughter were okay, and used that to act calm for Rose, who was still in tears.

"Shh, it'll be all right, love," James whispered, sitting on the bed beside her and opening his arms for her. She leaned into them and the dam broke as she sobbed into his chest.

"Breathe, love," he whispered, rubbing her back and pressing kisses to the top of her head. "Just breathe. You heard the doctor. Everything is fine. Our daughter is just a wee bit impatient, is all."

"Gets that from you," Rose sniffled, forcing herself to match her inhales with her husband's.

The rest of Rose's labor progressed quickly, and the next several hours passed in a blur of blood, sweat, tears, and much less screaming than James was expecting. He remained by Rose's side and held her hand as she pushed their daughter into the world.

Finally, only six and a half hours after Rose had walked into their kitchen and scared him half to death, a writhing, bloody, screaming baby was held up for them to see. The doctor efficiently cleared out her nose and mouth and wiped her down with a towel before setting the baby on Rose's chest.

James's ears were ringing and he squeezed Rose's hand tightly as he looked at the tiny pinkish-purplish body of his daughter. His _daughter!_ His little Ainsley. And she really was little. A lump lodged in his throat as he watched her flail her arms but quiet down as Rose rested her hand on her back. She looked so small and fragile, and he was responsible for protecting her and keeping her safe. A hot swell of love and protectiveness bubbled up in his chest and he wanted to scoop their baby up and hold her close because there couldn't possibly be a safer place for her than in his or Rose's arms.

"Cut the cord, Dad?"

A pair of medical scissors were handed to him, and he froze.

"It won't hurt her," the nurse assured, seeing the tension in his shoulders. "I promise. Right here, if you please."

James settled the shears where the nurse indicated, and he clamped down. It took more force than he would have expected, and he glanced at Ainsley as soon as he cut through, to make sure he really hadn't hurt her, even though he logically knew that her umbilical cord had no nerves in it.

He wrapped his arm around Rose's shoulder and leaned down until his cheek was resting on the top of Rose's head.

"She's beautiful," James whispered, hovering a trembling finger over his daughter's cheek. "Oh, Rose, she's _beautiful!_ "

Rose sniffled, but she was grinning. She leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to their daughter's forehead, and James followed with a kiss of his own.

"I'm going to borrow her for just a few minutes," the nurse cooed, before lifting the baby off of Rose's chest. "Just gonna take her to get measured and checked over."

"Is she all right?" James asked, keeping Ainsley in his sight as the nurse took her to a table at the far end of the room.

"Appears to be," the nurse answered, setting Ainsley on an examination table. "Just routine checks. Height, weight, blood pressure. Things like that. Just double checking to make sure she's as healthy as she looks. I promise, you can have her back in just a little while."

James nodded and turned his attention to his wife.

"You did so good," he whispered, leaning down to embrace her. He held her fiercely, feeling overwhelmed and emotional. "Oh, Rose, I'm so proud of you!"

Rose beamed at him as she held him just as tightly.

"Our baby is here," she giggled, tears still shining in her eyes.

"I know! And she's so perfect."

Another nurse interrupted them then, instructing Rose on delivering the placenta.

Rose grimaced, not particularly feeling like pushing ever again, but the nurse assured her it would be fairly quick and easy. Well, mostly. With the initial euphoria of holding her little girl worn off, Rose was displeased to find she was still experiencing cramping-like contractions.

"It's to help deliver the placenta, then to help your uterus shrink back to size," the nurse assured. "They should go away in a few days or so."

Once the afterbirth was delivered, Rose was checked over by the doctor, then cleaned up by the nurses.

James held her hand tight, knowing that it was protocol for mother and baby to be given complete checkups after birth, but it still made him anxious to see hospital personnel surrounding his wife and daughter.

Rose could plainly see his distress, so she squeezed his fingers and brought his knuckles to her lips for a kiss. He smiled down at her in gratitude, and rubbed his thumb across her fingers.

"And here she is," the nurse with Ainsley announced, holding a bundle of white and pink striped blankets in her arms. "Does Dad want a turn?"

James glanced down at Rose, and she smiled encouragingly and nodded for him to take their baby.

He held his arms out awkwardly, unsure of how to properly hold her and support her, but as soon as the warm weight of his baby was placed into his arms, he felt himself shift his grip almost without realizing it until Ainsley was cradled to his chest.

"Hello, my darling," he murmured, feeling his eyes sting as his daughter blinked blearily up at him with dark, murky blue eyes. "I'm your Daddy. I'm so happy to see you, my precious darling. Here, look. Here's Mummy." James leaned his bum against Rose's bed and turned so Rose could also see her. She traced a fingertip across Ainsley's plump cheeks as James continued speaking softly to their daughter. "Mummy took such good care of you these last eight months. Should've been nine, you know. You really scared Mummy and Daddy today. But no matter. You're here, and you're absolutely perfect."

James pressed a kiss to Ainsley's forehead, and the feel of her soft, warm skin beneath his lips was so intoxicating, he did it again.

A little while later, the nurses gathered around Rose to help her stand so they could be transported to a private recovery room.

James stood to the side with Ainsley still in his arms, and he was torn between cuddling his daughter and helping his wife.

"If you give her to me, you can help Rose, and she'll follow along after you in a few minutes?" the nurse suggested, holding her arms out.

James nodded, and pressed a parting kiss to Ainsley's brow before he handed her off.

"I've got you, love," he said, skipping to Rose's side to help steady her as she attempted to stand. "Easy does it. Feel all right?"

"Bit sore," she groaned, wincing as she stood up from the bed.

James held out his arm for her, and she took it gratefully. He wrapped his other arm around her back as she held on tight to him and the nurse on her other side, and attempted her first step forward.

It was slow going, but they eventually made it to the room they would occupy for the next day or two as Rose started to heal. She sank down onto the bed gratefully, and bit her lip on a wince as she adjusted herself until she was in the least uncomfortable position.

"All right?" James asked anxiously, smoothing her hair back from her forehead.

"Yeah, thanks," she said, then she glanced around the room. "Where's Ainsley?"

"She's on her way," the nurse assured. "Dad, you may want to go fetch your overnight bag from your car now."

James was reluctant to leave her side, but he knew it was a good idea to get their bags. He nearly sprinted to the carpark and back, eager to return to his family and not miss a minute of time with his daughter.

When he entered the room again a few minutes later, Ainsley was there, and Rose had her in her arms and was attempting to get her to latch onto her breast. A nurse was coaxing both mother and baby, and showing Rose how to best position Ainsley and her breast for feeding.

"Oh!" Rose gasped suddenly, and she grinned at James. "She's got it!"

"Smartest girl in the world," he proclaimed, beaming at his family. He set their bag in the corner of the room, and walked up to them.

"As I was telling Rose, you've got a perfectly healthy baby," the nurse said, smiling down at the new family. "I know she's early, but apart from being a little smaller than the average newborn, she's fine. Your doctor may have simply gotten the due date a bit wrong—it's difficult to tell sometimes—because she's as healthy as any other newborn. She weighed in at 2.49 kilograms and is 45.02 centimeters. You've got yourself a healthy little girl."

"Thanks," James whispered, even as his eyes were focused on his daughter, and the sucking motion of her jaw and the way her palm was splayed across Rose's chest and her eyes were drooping as she looked up at Rose.

He reached out and stroked her little fingers before wiggling his index finger under her palm, and grinned when she immediately wrapped her fingers around it. He leaned down and pressed a delicate kiss to the back of her hand.

Ainsley unlatched after only five minutes, and Rose glanced worriedly at the nurse.

"She can't be done yet, can she?"

"Offer her your other breast," the nurse suggested. "But keep in mind, this is the first time Ainsley has had to actively do something to feed herself. She might be tired. Or she might be full already. She's never had anything in her belly before."

But Ainsley wanted nothing to do with Rose's breasts, so Rose instead positioned her against her shoulder and rubbed and patted her back gently and was rewarded with a slight hiccupping burp.

"I'll leave you three alone for a bit," the nurse said. "Ring me if you need something."

When they were finally alone, James carefully settled himself into the bed beside Rose, trying not to jostle her or Ainsley too much. He wrapped his arm around Rose's shoulders and rested his cheek on the top of her head as he looked down at the pink, sleeping face of their daughter.

"She's so perfect," he murmured reverently, tracing his fingertip across her cheek.

"Yeah, she is," Rose whispered, resting her lips against Ainsley's forehead, relishing the feel of her baby's soft, warm skin.

"Oh, blimey!" James exclaimed softly.

"What?"

"We haven't even told Dad or Jackie!" He rooted around in his pocket and fished out his phone. "On a scale of one to 'I'm dead', how furious would your mum be if I sent her a photo of the three of us? She wanted to be here for the birth, after all."

"Just because that's what she wanted doesn't mean that's what was gonna happen," Rose snorted, recalling the spats she'd been getting into with her mum recently about why Rose only wanted James with her in the delivery room. As she stroked Ainsley's cheek, all of her arguments with her mum during her pregnancy seemed so daft all of a sudden. "So, I'd wager somewhere between a seven and a smack on the head.

"Enh, I'll take my chances," James shrugged, opening his camera app. "She won't slap me if I'm holding her granddaughter. Smile, love."

Rose positioned Ainsley so that her face would be in the shot as James cuddled closer and raised his phone out in front of them for their first family selfie.

"Beautiful!" he breathed, looking at the photo of his two favorite girls.

"I look like shite," Rose chuckled, raking her eyes over her mussed hair and splotchy cheeks and the dark bags under her eyes.

"You're beautiful," James said, scanning his eyes over the stunning, radiant smile of the woman who just brought their daughter into the world. "You've never been more beautiful to me, because you've just given me the most precious gift I could've ever wanted."

He pressed his lips to her temple before leaning back against her bed with her as he sent his dad and Jackie a photo of their early arrival.

"Want to take bets on how long it'll take for them to call?" James asked.

"Oh, definitely within the next thirty seconds," Rose said. "At least for my mum."

His phone started vibrating in his hand, and he saw the photo of Jackie and Rose that was his contact photo for his mother-in-law.

"Told ya," Rose teased.

He rolled his eyes but answered the phone.

He could barely get out a 'hello' before Jackie screeched, "Why didn't you tell me Rose had gone into labor, you plum?!"

"Hello to you, too, Jackie," James said dryly. "Sorry about that, but Ainsley didn't give us much warning either, if that helps."

"When did Rose go into labor? When was she born? You said she wasn't due until next month! Is everyone okay? Can I come by?"

"Rose went into labor this morning around nine," James replied. "The baby was born about an hour ago. She wasn't supposed to be due until next month, but I guess she decided to impart her presence upon us early. They're both perfectly healthy. You've still got a few hours until visiting hours end, if you'd like to pop by."

"I'm on my way," Jackie said. "Oh, this is such a surprise!"

"Yeah, imagine how we feel," James muttered. His phone beeped in his ear, indicating another incoming call. He moved his phone away from his ear to glance at the screen, and when he saw his dad's name, he said, "Oh, Jackie, gotta go. My dad's calling. See you in a bit. Bye!"

James fumbled with his phone and accepted his dad's call.

"James, that's not Ainsley, is it?"

He grinned and said, "Yup! Little madam was a tad impatient."

"Blimey," Robert breathed. "Congratulations, mate! And Rose! Oh, this is wonderful news!"

Rose smiled when she heard her name. She leaned over and rested her head on James's shoulder and said, "Thanks, Dad! Are you gonna come visit us?"

"D'you want me to?"

"Of course!" James squawked. "S'not every day your granddaughter is born! Besides, Jackie's on her way over and with Rose out of commission, I need you to be a buffer."

"Oi!" Rose smacked his chest as Robert laughed in his ear.

"Then I'll be there shortly," Robert said.

James hung up the phone and turned it on silent before setting it on the bedside table. He turned back to his wife and baby, and something deep in his chest ached to cuddle with his daughter again.

"Can-can I have a turn?" he asked softly.

"'Course," Rose said, sitting up to better transition the baby. "You don't need to ask. She's _ours_. Yours and mine."

"Well, it's not good form to just yank her out of your arms, is it?" James said dryly. "And-and I've read… I've read about the importance of mother-baby bonding and all that. S'crucial within the first few hours. Didn't want to interrupt."

"James, I want you to bond with her too," Rose said firmly, passing off the baby. "Father-baby bonding is equally as important. Don't sell yourself short. She wants you so much already. Look."

James brought Ainsley to his chest, but her little nose wrinkled and a furrow appeared in her brow as she was jostled. He shushed her softly and pecked a kiss to her cheek, but she continued squirming and grunting, and James watched in awe as she wriggled her way up until her face was tucked into the crook of his neck. She let out a deep sigh and clenched her hand around the fabric of his jumper before drifting back to sleep.

"I love you, my sweet Ainsley," he whispered, relishing the feeling of her skin against his. "Always, my darling."

Rose rested her hand on his thigh and gave it a squeeze.

"I love you, James."

James glanced down at Rose, who was beaming up at him. He couldn't help but return her smile, and he opened his other arm for her. She snuggled up against him and rested her head on his shoulder as exhaustion washed over her.

"Sleep, love," James urged, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"Mum and Dad'll be here soon," Rose mumbled.

"They'll understand," James whispered. "It's been a hell of a day. You've earned a bit of a kip."

Rose yawned, and a moment later, James felt her relax and fall into a shallow sleep.

An hour later, a quiet knock sounded on the door. Rose blearily blinked open her eyes, and smiled sleepily when her mum and Robert poked their head into the room.

"Feeling up to visitors, sweetheart?" Jackie asked, already walking into the room with her eyes fixed on the bundle in James's arms.

"For a bit," Rose said. She really was exhausted and her whole body ached.

"We won't stay long, darling," Robert said, walking into the room behind Jackie. "I know you need to rest."

"Is that her?" Jackie asked.

"Nah, I figured I'd let the nurses keep my daughter and I'd look after someone else's," James dead-panned.

"Oi!" Jackie said. "If you weren't holding my granddaughter, you'd be getting a smack. Lemme see her, you plum."

James lowered her down from his shoulder so her face was now on display. Ainsley wrinkled her nose and whimpered in displeasure as she tried to wriggle her face closer to James's warmth.

"Such a Daddy's girl already," Jackie noted.

James beamed brightly.

"Can Gran have a turn with her?" Jackie asked, holding out her arms.

James pressed a kiss to Ainsley's forehead before carefully handing the baby to Jackie.

"Careful with her head," he said automatically as soon as her neck was no longer cradled in his hands.

"Done this before, y'know," Jackie said dryly.

James coughed as his cheeks warmed. "Right. Sorry."

"New dad fears," Robert assured him. "Your mother and I could barely put you down the first week we brought you home."

James settled back against the bed with Rose, and noticed how utterly exhausted she looked. Her eyes were barely focused and she was nodding off against his chest. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and made himself comfortable before urging her to rest against him.

"Congratulations, darling," Robert whispered, pressing a light kiss to Rose's forehead.

Rose smiled sleepily at him and opened her arms for a hug. Robert leaned down and gently embraced his daughter-in-law.

"Congratulations, mate," he said to James, leaning over Rose to hug his son. "You've made a beautiful baby."

"She is, isn't she?" Jackie cooed, bouncing the baby lightly. "Does Grandad want a turn next?"

Robert smiled shyly and nodded, holding his arms out for the baby. She woke up on the transfer, but stayed quiet as she blinked up at her grandad.

"Hello, there, darling," he murmured, brushing his finger up her cheek, across her eyebrows, then down her other cheek. She'd worked a hand free of her swaddle of blankets, and Robert tucked his finger inside her grip. "Aren't you the most precious thing I've ever seen? Eh? Such a beautiful girl you are. And so loved, darling, so loved."

A knock on the door heralded a nurse, and she smiled softly at the family in the room.

"How are you feeling, Rose?" the nurse asked, coming in and fluttering her hands across Rose's body.

"Knackered," she said bluntly.

"Yeah, you will be for a while as your body heals," the nurse said sympathetically.

"And I kind of need the loo," she admitted, but the thought of moving was utterly unappealing.

"Well, that's why I'm here," the nurse said. "Come on, up you get. As slowly as you need to."

James moved off the bed and was about to help Rose stand, but Jackie beat him to it.

"I got her," Jackie said. "Don't you worry."

James nodded and watched Rose hobble to the attached bathroom. He looked at the latched loo door and exhaled raggedly, his own exhaustion suddenly catching up to him.

"Been a hell of a day, hasn't it?" Robert asked, stepping up beside James.

James turned to him and watched Ainsley tighten and loosen her hold on Robert's finger as her nose and eyes scrunched in a yawn. A lump grew in his throat as the panic he'd felt since nine o'clock that morning finally hit.

"James?" Robert asked, seeing how pale James went.

"I was so scared, Dad," he whispered. "Rose just came into the kitchen and told me something was wrong, and I'd never been so scared in my life!"

"Whoa, mate, breathe," his dad said. Robert shuffled his hold on the baby to free up a hand, and he rubbed his hand up and down James's back. "It all worked out, though. You've got a beautiful little girl, James. And a healthy wife. Everything and everyone is okay. Here. See for yourself."

Robert handed the baby back to James, who automatically cradled her close. His heart pounded in his chest as Ainsley burrowed her little face into his neck and gripped his shirt tightly in her fingers. He nuzzled his nose into her downy hair and brushed kisses across her skin as he closed his eyes against his panic. Yes, she was utterly perfect.

"James?"

He inhaled deeply when he heard Rose's call and plastered on a smile before turning to face her.

"You all right?" she asked softly, walking up to him and wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Yeah," he whispered, pressing a long kiss to her temple. "Been a long day, is all."

She stared at him critically for a moment before she looped her hand around the back of his neck and tugged him down for a chaste kiss.

"I love you," she whispered. "You and our daughter."

"I love you, too," he murmured, swaying from side to side as Ainsley let out a mewling whimper.

"Right, it's getting late," Robert said, shooting Jackie a quick glance. "We'll let you two get some rest. If you're up for it, we can stop by tomorrow afternoon?"

"Sounds good," Rose said, walking up to Robert for a hug. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course," he whispered, holding her tight. He pressed a kiss to her temple and said, "Go on, get some sleep. You've earned it. And congratulations, darling. Ainsley is beautiful."

Rose grinned and looked over at her husband and baby.

Robert helped guide her back to her bed and situated her pillows as she settled down.

"See you tomorrow," he said, kissing her forehead one last time before walking up to James. "You too, mate. Get some rest."

Robert kissed James's cheek and stroked Ainsley's hand before he waited by the door for Jackie.

Once their parents left, James pressed a kiss to Ainsley's forehead and settled her in her cot so she could sleep and he could cuddle with his wife and hopefully nap for a bit too.

"Are you really okay?" Rose asked, staring critically at him.

"I will be," he promised, nuzzling his nose against her temple. "It's just… I was terrified, Rose. I was so scared for you and for Ainsley this morning, and I'm still a little on edge."

"We're fine, James," she soothed, urging him to tuck his head against her collarbone. "We're both fine."

"Yeah," he whispered, wrapping his arms around his wife.

"Get some sleep, love," Rose murmured, pressing kisses to the top of his head. "Who knows when she'll next be up."

Her heartbeat echoed in his ear, and he let the feel of her fingers through his hair and her arm around his shoulders comfort him. He still felt shaken from the events of the day, but he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and felt his muscles gradually relax under her touch until he was able to fall asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

They dozed off and on throughout the night, and were up every few hours to tend to their baby with the helpful guidance of the night staff.

James had panicked the first time he'd had to change Ainsley's nappy, sure that he was going to do it wrong or that he was being too rough with her delicate skin or that he'd strapped it too tightly and was cutting off her circulation.

"Great job, Dad," the nurse praised when he successfully secured her nappy and eased her back into her onesie. "And time for Mum to get a turn with her. She seems hungry."

"How can you tell?" James asked, carefully slipping his hand under Ainsley's neck to bring her to his shoulder.

"Well, it's been about three hours since she was last fed," the nurse said. Then she gestured to Ainsley, who was nuzzling her face into his chest and puckering her lips. "And that motion right there. She's looking for a source of food."

James nodded, storing that bit of information away as he walked up to Rose, who already had her hospital gown pulled down to expose her breasts.

The rest of the night passed smoothly, with them being able to catch a few hours of sleep when Ainsley did. James took as many pictures as he could of Ainsley, both by herself and with Rose, until Rose took his phone away from him.

"I want to see you with her, too," she said, pointing the camera towards him. "Go on, give us a smile."

James beamed at Rose as he sat quietly with their daughter in the single-person sofa he'd moved to be at her bedside.

"Uh oh," Rose murmured as she looked through his phone.

"What?" James asked, idly flicking his finger across the pompom on the top of Ainsley's cap.

"It's Monday," she said. "You're due to teach in two hours, love."

"The hell I am," he grumbled, taking his phone from her.

"James, it's fine—"

"I'm not leaving," he said firmly. "I'll tell them no lecture today. Well, no lecture this week, probably. I'll figure out what to do later."

He one-handedly typed out an email to his students, apologizing for the late notice, and telling them that he wouldn't be in for the week. As an afterthought, he attached a photo of Ainsley to the email, knowing most of his students would be happy to see it; they'd been nearly as excited as him for the arrival of Ainsley.

He then emailed his colleagues, letting them know what was going on, and sent them a photo of his daughter too.

"There," he said, setting his phone down. "My schedule is freed up for the week."

"What are you going to do after the week is up, though?" Rose pressed. "It's the end of the semester, your busiest time."

"I don't know, but I'll figure something out," he said. "For now, let me just be with you and Ainsley, yeah?"

Robert and Jackie arrived shortly after lunchtime, as promised, and they were laden down with giftbags.

"Brought you a coffee and a tea for Rose," Robert said, handing James the takeaway mugs. "And some muffins and scones. Don't reckon the hospital food is that great."

"Not really," James grimaced.

"Thanks, Dad," Rose said, taking a sip of tea. "What's all that?"

She gestured to the bags in his and Jackie's hands.

"Just a few supplies for Ainsley," Robert said, setting the bags on the foot of the bed so she and James could rifle through them. "Preemie clothes and nappies, mostly. She'll grow into all of the supplies you have for her at home soon enough, but for the time being, she's a bit too small for what you've got.

"Thanks, Dad," James said gratefully. "And Jackie. Thank you."

"We'll take these to your house when we leave here," Robert said. "Actually… Do you have her car seat installed in your car yet?"

James paled and glanced over at Rose. "Shit. No, we don't. We were going to do that in the next weekend or so."

"Hey, relax," Robert said. "Give me your car keys, and I'll run to the house, drop all of this off, and install the seat for you."

"Thanks, Dad," James said gratefully, stepping over to the windowsill to grab his car and house keys. "We really appreciate this."

Rose and Ainsley were released from the hospital the following morning, both with a clean bill of health. James drove them home, driving much slower than the posted speed limits in fear of jostling Ainsley too much.

When they finally made it home, they were surprised but grateful to come home to a house cleaner than when they'd left it. A bouquet of bright flowers was waiting for them on the kitchen table, along with a note from Jackie and Robert, saying they cleaned up the house and stocked the cupboards, fridge, and freezer so they wouldn't have to worry about cooking for the foreseeable future.

"They're the best," James said with a grin as he inspected the pre-prepared meals his dad and Jackie had cooked for them.

Rose hummed in agreement as she cradled Ainsley to her breast for yet another feeding. James looked at the two of them, feeling at a bit of a loss as to what to do with himself.

"Why don't you work on figuring out what to do about the rest of your semester?" Rose suggested when she saw her husband wringing his hands as he stood in the middle of their kitchen.

"But what _am_ I supposed to do?" he asked.

"I've told you, we'll be fine if you go into work," Rose said. "It's just four more weeks 'til your paternity leave kicks in."

"But I don't want to," James said stubbornly. "I want to be on my paternity leave _now_."

He sighed heavily. Their baby would be growing so fast in the next few months, and he was loath to miss any stage of her development.

After a few days, he finally got the idea to hold online lectures. He made audio recordings of what he would be lecturing on, were he to be teaching at school, and he synched them to the PowerPoint slides for his students. He also created a live video feed of him going through the various homework sets and practice problems to help them work through the major errors he knew many of them would make.

In addition, he finally conceded that he needed to be available in-person as well, so he grudgingly made himself available for three-hour blocks of time three days a week to meet with his students.

He meanwhile spent as much time with his family as he could. It was exhausting, though; he'd never known such a persistent, bone-deep weariness that came with caring for a newborn who was up every few hours in need of a feed, nappy change, or just a cuddle. Those were James's favorite. While he'd never been as tired in his life, he'd also never felt such love for anyone as he felt for his daughter. There was nothing like sitting with her in the middle of the night, just holding her as she nuzzled into him, and he hoped the amazement he felt for having created a new human life never left him.

But with the awe and wonder also came a sense of anxiety deeper than he'd ever known before. He was completely responsible for the care and well-being of a tiny human.

A tiny human who was currently yellow.

"Rose!" James shouted, picking her up out of her crib to sprint into their bedroom. "Rose, she's yellow! Oh, God, she's _yellow!_ "

James settled Ainsley in his lap and stripped her out of her onesie, looking for a cut or an insect bite or a rash or hives or…

"James, relax," Rose murmured, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"Don't tell me to bloody relax!" James snapped. "Now phone the doctor!"

"James, look at me," Rose said, sitting up and grabbing the trembling hand that was palpating Ainsley's belly around her healing umbilical cord. "James. She just has a touch of jaundice. We read about this, remember? The doctors warned us about it. She's a preemie and she's breastfeeding; loads of newborns get jaundiced. It should clear up in a week or so. If not, _then_ we'll phone the doctor. Now will you stop poking her and give her a cuddle?"

James sheepishly glanced down at where Ainsley was writhing furiously under his examining fingers and looking as though she were about to build up to a real screaming fit.

"I'm sorry, darling," James murmured, scooping her up and cradling her to his shoulder. "Daddy's a bit of a nutter, you know."

"But you're our nutter," Rose said fondly, stroking his hair away from his face to kiss his cheek.

"Was a bit disconcerting to see a yellow baby when I was expecting a pink one," James admitted, passing Ainsley off to Rose when she continued to fuss and nuzzled her face into his chest, looking for a breast he didn't have.

"Understandable," Rose said. "Just try not to wake the whole neighborhood next time, yeah?"

James rolled his eyes, but pecked a kiss to her forehead before he rolled out of bed to start breakfast.

Finals week eventually rolled around, and James had never been happier to return home with a stack of exams, because it meant he would soon be able to completely put aside his professor duties until the following autumn.

He set up shop at the kitchen table, spreading out his laptop and the various stacks of exams from his different sections. Part way through grading, he heard a loud wail from Ainsley followed by a crying expletive from his wife.

"Rose?" he asked, pushing back from the table. He jogged into the living room and found his wife cradling their crying daughter to her chest as her own face crumpled with tears. "Rose, what's wrong? What happened?"

"I clipped her!" Rose sobbed. "I didn't mean to! She was sleeping so well! Then she moved! And I clipped her!"

James finally saw that one of Ainsley's hands was wrapped in a tissue and the baby fingernail clippers were on the floor.

"Hey, it's okay," he murmured, wrapping his arm around Rose's waist and hugging her to his side. "It's all right."

"I made her bleed!" Rose wailed. "I hurt our baby! I cut her!"

"Rose, breathe," James said softly, rubbing her back slowly. "Want to know a secret? I did that last weekend to one of her toes."

Rose sniffled and swiped at her eyes. "You did?"

"Mhm," he said, rubbing her back slowly. "I cried for a half hour. She was fine after five minutes. And she's fine now. See? All better."

Ainsley was resting with her head against Rose's shoulder and her fist in her mouth, blinking up at her mum.

"Let's check on that finger, eh?" James cooed softly, unwrapping the tissue from Ainsley's other fist. Rose stiffened and he rested his hand on her thigh to soothe her. "Oh, not too bad! Can barely see it!"

Rose cringed as she steeled herself for the macabre sight she was expecting to see on her daughter's finger. She breathed a sigh of relief when she could barely see where she'd nicked Ainsley.

"Shall we finish cutting your nails, darling?" James asked, bending down to pick up the clippers. "Don't want you scratching yourself. Or us."

"You do it," Rose said shakily when James held out the clippers for her. "Please?"

He nodded and accepted Ainsley from her. He laid her in his lap and spoke softly to her as he braced her palm against his thumb and efficiently trimmed the rest of her nails.

"All better, eh?" he asked, tossing the clippers onto the coffee table. "Do you want to come see what Daddy is working on, darling?" He stood up with her and settled her on his shoulder as he walked into the kitchen. He talked softly at her as he showed her all of the exams he'd already graded, and talked her through all of the math and physics behind the problems he'd tested his students on.

"Teaching her advanced physics already?" Rose teased, filling the kettle before she scoured through the fridge for something to snack on before dinner.

"Well, these are the introductory physics exams," James explained. "Already graded the computational exams first. Work harder to easier. Makes it go faster."

"I love you," Rose said fondly, walking up to the table to take a look at the stacks of papers on the table. "Want help organizing?"

"Oh, it's all right," James said.

"No, come on. Let me just grab her swing and we can set her up in here as we work," Rose said.

James conceded, and he rocked Ainsley slowly as he made tea for himself and Rose. When Rose returned, he buckled Ainsley into her swinging cradle, and set her beside the table before he and Rose fell into their normal routine of him grading and her alphabetizing the exams and writing down the scores for him to input into the computer later.

"Teamwork makes the dream work!" James crowed, beaming brightly at Rose and a sleeping Ainsley as he graded the last exam. "Thank you, Rose. And you, too, Ainsley. What a good little cheerleader you are."

"You're a nutter," Rose laughed, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

Though she teased him, she adored seeing James with their baby. Fatherhood certainly suited him well. He'd always been the most beautiful person she'd ever seen, but somehow, he seemed to get even more beautiful when he was interacting with their daughter. Even on the days when his hair was disheveled and greasy from the lack of showering, or when his eyes bore dark bags under them, or he was covered in baby sick, he was still so beautiful and though it seemed impossible, she fell even more deeply in love with him.

When they settled into bed together that night, having just put Ainsley down after her bath and her nighttime feed, Rose rolled over onto her side to face him, hoping to get in a quick cuddle before either of them fell asleep. But when he smiled that smile of his that made her feel like the most important woman in the universe, she couldn't help but lean towards him and catch his lips in a kiss.

He sighed into the kiss, but kept it chaste, with only lips and no teeth or tongue. However, the sudden swoop of heat in her belly shoved all thoughts of "chaste" from her mind, despite the fact that she still hadn't been cleared for sex yet. But she felt good—great, even. She felt like her old self again, and her sexual appetite had returned with a vengeance. Blimey, she had to give James more credit for his patience when she'd been completely turned off from sex during her last trimester or so of pregnancy.

Even though she knew nothing could come from it except for a mounting sense of frustration, Rose pressed herself closer to her husband and wound her fingers through the hairs on the back of his head, deepening the kiss.

He groaned into her mouth and Rose was delighted that she could feel him shivering as she scratched his scalp and surreptitiously pressed her thigh to his groin. She scraped her teeth across his bottom lip and rubbed her leg against his growing erection as heat and desire flooded through her.

"Bloody hell," he gasped, his hips twitching forward. "No, Rose, stop. Please stop."

Rose froze and released him, her cheeks and ears burning in mortification.

"S-Sorry," she mumbled, flopping onto her back as she raked her palms across her face and tried to ignore the rejection that was churning her stomach.

"No, love, not like that," he whispered, propping himself up his elbow so he could look at her. He rested his hand lightly on her stomach and idly stroked as he said, "It's been so long and I'm so aroused around you anymore. I'm aching to make love to you again. But my self-restraint is a little strained at the moment."

"Mine too," she admitted, barely stopping herself before she arched her back to get him to touch her breasts. "God, James, I want you so badly."

"I do too," he sighed.

"Well, I can at least take care of you," Rose said, reaching out to rest her hand on his hip. "If you want."

"You don't have to," he said, covering her arm and giving it a squeeze.

"I know I don't," she said. "But I want to. It's been so long since we've done this. Since I've touched you. Please?"

"I feel like I'm rubbing it in your face," he protested.

"Well, I'd prefer you to rub it somewhere else," Rose teased, reaching out to let her fingertips brush against the front of his pants where he was already completely hard.

He hummed and pressed into the touch. Rose moved her hand to the small of his back and tugged, urging him on top of her.

"You sure?" he asked, hovering above her but keeping his hips away from hers.

"Very sure," she said impatiently, wanting to feel him against her, even if it was through two layers of fabric.

He tentatively dropped his hips, and the choked moan that pulled from his throat sent heat and desire throbbing through her. She sighed in pleasure as she readjusted her hips to get him to rub against her more directly. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close as she locked his lips into a kiss. Pleasure fizzed down Rose's spine as she licked at his bottom lip before scraping her teeth across it, making him whimper in pleasure.

God, she'd missed this. She wrapped her thighs around his hips and she felt herself growing wetter as they rocked against each other.

"Feels good," she sighed, unashamedly rubbing herself against him.

"Feels brilliant," he bit out, moving in time with her.

He grunted and his nostrils flared with the pleasure he was feeling. Rose had missed seeing him like this.

She then felt James's hands drop to her breasts and start kneading and squeezing as he'd always done.

"Oop, careful with those," Rose warned, batting his hands away.

"Oh, sorry," he said, fisting his hands into the pillow under her head.

"It's all right," she said. "They're finicky. Too much attention and they'll start to leak."

James moved his hands restlessly across her body, from her cheeks to her hair to her hips to her bum. He dipped his hands under her shirt to feel her skin.

"Can I take this off?" he asked breathlessly.

"As long as yours comes off too," Rose replied, already sitting up as James sat back on his haunches.

They fumbled out of their shirts and sighed in pleasure as their bare chests pressed together.

"Pants off too?" Rose asked, dipping her fingers below the waistband of his boxers.

But James hesitated.

"Please? I just… I want to touch you."

James finally nodded and rolled off her to fumble his way out of his pants. Rose took the opportunity to dip her fingers below her knickers to give her clit a quick swipe. A strong burst of pleasure swelled in her belly and she moaned deeply.

"All right?" James asked worriedly.

"More than," she moaned, continuing to rub her clit.

She noticed James gaping at her, having realized what she was doing, and the heat of desire in his eyes sent hot chills across her skin, breaking her out in goosebumps.

"Ehm… if it feels okay…" He licked at his lips and traced his fingers across the waistband of her knickers. "Can I…?"

Rose nodded and worked her knickers down her thighs before tossing them to the floor.

James watched her as she lay back against their pillows, and Rose shivered at the heat in his gaze.

"You're so gorgeous," he rasped, reaching out to trail his fingers around her breasts and down her stomach and to her curls, where she was glistening with arousal.

"You're not half bad either," she teased, letting her eyes flutter shut as his fingers carefully swept through her folds to play with her clit.

"Fuck, Rose, you're so wet," he grunted, reaching down to rub his erection.

"Told you," she panted. "C'mere. Got an idea."

"Love your ideas," James enthused, crawling on top of her. But he stiffened when Rose guided his erection to her lower lips. "Except that. Rose, stop. We can't."

"Not in," Rose assured, rubbing the length of his cock against her swollen clit. "Just… will this work for you?"

"Christ, yes," he gasped as she covered his cock with her hand, giving him unbelievable friction on all sides.

They set up a slow and tentative rhythm that felt brilliant for the both of them. James held himself carefully, hardly daring to speed up his thrusts in case he accidentally forgot himself and tried to maneuver so he could thrust inside her.

"You're okay," Rose soothe, seeing how stiffly he was holding himself. "Do you want to stop? We can stop."

"N-no," James whispered. "Feels so good."

"Yeah, it does," she agreed, letting her eyes flutter shut as her pleasure slowly and deliciously mounted.

She buried her fingers into his hair and guided him down for a kiss. She scratched at his scalp and nibbled on his bottom lip, delighting when she felt his hips stutter then speed up in his growing need for release.

Rose panted as he rubbed against her clit harder and faster as his hips jerked sloppily into his. His face was scrunched in pleasure and he was biting into his bottom lip as he broke out of the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. Her belly swooped when she realized he was close, and she thrust up against him as she felt herself peaking higher and higher.

"Oh, Rose," he whimpered, his entire body trembling in overwhelming pleasure. "Oh, God, Rose. Oh, _God!_ Are you close, love?"

"So close, James," Rose whispered into his ear, her eyes rolling back in her head as the pressure low in her gut twisted tighter and tighter. She nipped at his earlobe and scraped her teeth across the skin over his jaw. "I'm gonna come. Come on, love."

He arched his back and let out a wordless cry as Rose felt him spurt his release onto her belly just as her vision whited out and she was lost to her orgasm. She tightened her legs around his hips and buried her hands in his hair as she cried out his name.

 _God,_ it felt so good! And it seemed to go on forever. Warm waves of pleasure rolled through her, making her feel so foggy and so, so good. Her ears were ringing and her vision was swimming as the final aftershocks rippled through her.

James lowered his weight against her, and Rose wrapped her arms around his shoulders as she kept her legs around him.

"Bloody hell," she panted, holding her soulmate close. "That was brilliant."

James hummed in agreement and nuzzled his cheek into her collarbone.

"And that was okay?" he asked, looking up at her.

Rose snorted. "Said it was brilliant, didn't I?"

"No, I-I meant… No discomfort? I didn't hurt you?"

"No discomfort at all," she promised, stroking her fingers through his hair as he finally relaxed against her, convinced she was truly all right.

"Love you," he murmured into her skin. "I don't want to seem unappreciative, because what we just did was utterly fantastic—really, Rose, it was so brilliant—but do you have an idea when you might be ready for proper sex?"

"I've an appointment a few days after Christmas," she answered, feeling drowsy and sated and in want of a cuddle. "Just in time for our anniversary."

She pressed a long kiss to his neck, delighting in his shudder of pleasure.

"Then I guess I ought to make plans," he whispered. "If you want, that is? Dad or Jackie can take Ainsley for the night? Or even just a few hours, if we're not ready to be away from her for a full night. We can play it by ear?"

"A night alone with you might be nice," Rose mused. "I love Ainsley with everything that I am, don't get me wrong. But I miss you."

"I miss you, too," James said. "But I wouldn't trade my life as it is now for the way it was before."

"Me either," Rose agreed, pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Right, come on, up you get. Time for bed."

"But you're so comfy," James sighed, nuzzling his face into her breasts.

"Careful, or you'll get an earful of breastmilk," Rose warned. "Come on, get off."

James grumbled and rolled off of her, then grimaced at the mess he'd made on her stomach, which had transferred to his skin too.

"Be right back. I'll get you a flannel too."

Rose nodded and sank into her pillows, feeling sated and sleepy. But she squeaked when lukewarm water dripped onto her breasts.

James was standing over her with a goofy grin as he squeezed out a damp flannel.

"Git!" she laughed, snatching it from his hands. She ran the cloth over her stomach and between her legs before balling it up and tossing it in his general direction for him to put into the hamper.

oOoOo

Rose sighed and rolled over to snuggle up beside James, wanting to take advantage of the few precious minutes of silence before Ainsley would be up. But he wasn't in bed, and Rose frowned. She knew he'd gotten up a few hours ago to tend to their daughter, but he'd come back to bed… Right?

She got out of bed and walked across the hall to the nursery, but it was empty of both her baby and husband. However, there was a small pile of clothes on the floor: James's t-shirt and pajama bottoms and Ainsley's pajama onesie. They were covered in a goopy white substance, and the acrid stench emanating from them confirmed they were soiled with baby vomit.

She gathered the clothes and carried them down the hall to the laundry room. She loaded up the washer before going off in search of her family. She found them in the living room on the recliner. James was in only his boxers and Ainsley was just in a nappy, and they were both fast asleep.

Rose's breath caught in her throat at the sight they made. James had one hand cradled under their daughter's bottom and the other draped across her back, and Ainsley's chubby cheek was pressed against his chest with her plump lips open in a small "O".

Rose quietly rushed to the home office for her camera, hoping they could both stay asleep for just five minutes longer. She was in luck; they were both in the same position as when she'd left them, and she quickly turned on her camera and adjusted the settings before she started snapping photos of her two favorite people.

When she photographed them from all possible angles, Rose put her camera back in the office and snuck off for a quick shower.

Ainsley was awake when Rose returned to the living room, and she was contentedly laying on James with her fingers in her mouth.

"Hi, my sweetheart," she whispered, grinning at her daughter.

Ainsley let out a heavy sigh and continued staring at Rose.

"You weren't feeling very well last night, were you?" Rose cooed, carefully lifting James's hand from their daughter to take her from him. "But your daddy took such good care of you, didn't he? He loves you more than anything, you know. We certainly lucked out with him, didn't we?"

As soon as Rose lifted Ainsley from James's chest, he jolted awake and clapped his hands to the spot where their daughter had just been.

"I've got her," Rose soothed, seeing him blinking wildly. "Morning, love."

James groaned and stretched and smiled sleepily at her. "Morning."

"I saw you had a rough night," Rose grimaced. "Sorry about that. I didn't even hear it. You could've woken me up."

"I had it under control. After the projectile vomiting stopped, it wasn't all that exciting," James said dryly. "Though she's got great aim. Only managed to get the clothes, and nothing else. Oh, bollocks, I ought to get those clothes in the laundry. They've got to be rank by now."

"Taken care of," she said. "Go on and get a shower. I'll have the coffee ready when you're back. And this little madam needs some breakfast."

James pushed down the footrest of the recliner and stood, leaning backwards to pop his spine. He walked up to Rose and brushed a soft kiss to her lips before he ducked down to pepper kisses across Ainsley's cheeks and neck, earning him a happy gurgle.

"Love you, darling," he whispered, pressing a parting kiss to her hair. "Love you, Rose."

"Love you, too."

Rose meandered to the kitchen while holding a squirming Ainsley, who was rooting around with her mouth near Rose's breast.

"One minute, sweetheart," Rose said, measuring out the coffee grounds and pouring water into the machine. "Let me get Daddy's coffee started, and I'll have your breakfast ready in just a mo'."

Ainsley was less than impressed, and she squawked indignantly as she grabbed at Rose's breast and opened and closed her mouth around her fist.

"Almost there," Rose cooed, bouncing Ainsley gently as she flicked on the coffee maker. "There! Thank you for your patience, sweetheart. C'mon. Mummy's got your breakfast all ready to go. Let's sit down and get comfy, first."

Rose sat on the sofa and arranged the pillows around her arms for something to rest on while Ainsley nursed. She stripped off her jumper, leaving her in just a vest, and she tugged down on the front while lifting her breast out of the fabric. Ainsley cooed excitedly, and Rose smiled down at her daughter as she helped the baby latch on.

"There we go," Rose murmured as Ainsley started suckling. She stroked her finger across Ainsley's forehead and down her cheek, loving the feeling of her daughter's soft skin. She adjusted her grip to hold Ainsley closer. "I love you, Ainsley. So much more than you'll ever know."

James joined them a few minutes later, with two steaming mugs and a plate in his hand.

"Made you a cuppa," he said, settling her mug on the coffee table beside her. "Got a bit of toast, too."

"Ta," Rose said, readjusting Ainsley so she could eat.

James draped his arm across the back of the sofa and munched on his toast while intermittently watching the news and watching his wife and daughter.

"Motherhood really suits you, you know," he said, watching Ainsley's suckling become slower and slower as she finished up. "You're the most beautiful mum."

Rose beamed brightly at him, and cooed down at Ainsley as she detached from her breast and started hiccupping. Then, just before Rose was about to lift the baby to her shoulder, Ainsley's lips quirked up and her eyes scrunched and sparkled.

Rose gasped, and glanced at James, who looked equally as dumbstruck.

"Did you see that?"

They grinned excitedly and James rooted through his pockets for his cell phone as Ainsley once again flashed them a smile.

"Oh, that's beautiful!" he exclaimed, snapping a series of photos, trying to catch her first smile. "You've got such a beautiful smile, my darling Ainsley. Let Daddy see it again?"

Ainsley grinned at them again, and flailed her arms as she cooed. A sob bubbled out of Rose as she lifted Ainsley to her shoulder and hugged her close.

James set his half-empty mug and plate onto the coffee table as he wrapped Rose into a hug and pressed kisses to the back of Ainsley's head.

"So beautiful," he murmured, cradling Ainsley's head and stroking her hair softly. Ainsley turned her head to look at him, and she smiled again at him, and he felt as though his heart might beat right out of his chest with utter joy. He kissed her cheek then kissed Rose's hair. "My beautiful, precious girls."


	6. Chapter 6

James and Rose spent the next week decorating their house for Christmas, which they had decided to host alongside Robert and Jackie. When the decision had first been made a few weeks before Ainsley's birth, James and Rose had wanted to be in a familiar environment, both for themselves and for their baby, and they hadn't wanted to make the long journey to Scotland with a baby they thought would be barely a week old.

Jackie and Robert arrived at the house on Christmas Eve morning to help finish decorating, begin the meal preparations, and dote on their growing granddaughter.

"Want to show Gran and Grandad what you learned to do, sweetheart?" Rose cooed when they first arrived.

Ainsley rewarded them with a beaming smile, and an enthusiastic flailing of her arms.

"Oh, how beautiful!" Robert praised, tickling the bottom of her feet. "So gorgeous, sweetheart!"

"Yeah, she is, isn't she?" James said proudly from where he was standing on a chair to put the star atop the tree.

Christmas day found their house bustling with people as family members arrived for Christmas dinner. While it was exhausting to entertain so many people and keep a six-week old baby happy, James and Rose delighted in being able to show off their daughter and introduce her to their family.

"So precious!" James's grandmother said as Ainsley smiled her way around the room, contentedly tucked away in her father's arms. "Can I hold her?"

James nodded and passed her off, before he wandered back into the kitchen to check on dinner.

"Where's Ainsley?" Rose asked as she sampled a bit of the turkey that was ready to be carved.

"Ainsley?" he asked, feigning ignorance. "Who's Ainsley?"

Rose smirked and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, you mean the gorgeous baby everyone is cooing over? I left her with my grandmum."

"She really has everyone falling in love with her, doesn't she?" Rose said, peeking into the living room as grown adults crowded around their baby and babbled nonsense at her.

"'Course! She's the most loveable human in the universe!" he exclaimed proudly. "Just like her mum."

James wrapped his arm around Rose's waist and pressed a firm kiss to the side of her head.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Always," he said, grabbing a fresh bottle of wine from the fridge.

"Are your dad's parents still around?" she asked. "It's just… I've never seen them, or even heard of them. And I've never been able to bring myself to ask."

James sighed and scrubbed at the back of his neck.

"His mum died when he was just a baby," James said. "And his dad… Well, let's just say he was a product of his era and his parents. He drank a lot and wasn't a very pleasant man to my dad. Dad left as soon as he turned eighteen. Moved into my mum's parents' basement, actually. They cheated with the whole "no meeting your soulmate 'til you're eighteen" rule. But Mum was only ten months younger than Dad, so no one really said anything."

"I'm sorry," Rose said, feeling her heart break for Robert.

"Yeah," James said. "But Mum's family adopted him like one of their own. He hasn't heard from his dad since, and I don't think that really bothers him."

Rose nodded and glanced into the living room where Robert was on the floor on his belly, mirroring Ainsley's position as she practiced lifting her head up. It flopped to the ground after a few seconds, but even her small victory earned her an enthusiastic round of applause.

Later that evening after dinner and dessert and gift-giving—wherein everyone brought mostly things for Ainsley—Robert and James retreated to the kitchen to clean up from the meal.

"That went well," James said, rinsing the dishes before loading them into the dishwasher. "As well as can be expected with a young baby."

"Ainsley did great," Robert agreed. "And so did Rose."

James smiled softly, having just left his wife napping on the sofa, exhausted from the day's events.

"So," Robert said, "your anniversary is coming up. Any plans?"

James turned to face his dad and smirked. "You angling for a babysitting job?"

"You know I love that little girl to death," Robert said, shrugging. "So, yeah, I wouldn't mind keeping her overnight if you and Rose want a proper date night or something for your anniversary."

"That'd be brilliant, actually," James said. "Though I need to talk to Rose and see if she'd want to be away from Ainsley for an entire night. I'll let you know, but one way or another, it'd be brilliant if you could keep Ainsley for a bit on the thirtieth."

oOoOo

"You look stunning," James breathed as he stepped into their en suite as Rose was touching up her makeup. They'd taken Robert up on his offer to babysit Ainsley overnight, and James had made reservations at one of their favorite date night restaurants, one they hadn't visited in months. "So stunning."

Rose beamed at him through the mirror as she capped her mascara and fixed her hair.

"Might I interest you in a pair of earrings?" James murmured, stepping up behind her and opening a velvet box. "You picked a perfect dress for these."

Rose eagerly spun around and opened up the box, revealing a pair of drop earrings. Two diamonds led the way to the main ruby gemstone, and Rose delighted that the earrings would match perfectly to the deep burgundy gown she had donned for the evening.

"James, you spoil me," Rose said breathlessly as she put on the earrings.

"It gives me such pleasure to do so, my love," he murmured into her ear, and the gravelly tone of his voice and his warm breath made her shiver. "Come on. Don't want to miss our reservation."

"But I haven't given you your gift yet," Rose protested.

"Is it something I can use or wear at dinner?" he asked. At her negative shake of her head, he said, "Then you can give it to me when we get home. That all right?"

At her nod, he took her hand, led her to their car, and drove them into town for dinner.

For it being the end of December, the night air was refreshingly cold rather than unbearably bitter, and they didn't mind the short walk from the carpark into the restaurant.

"Ah, so lovely!"

Rose turned and saw a late middle-aged man walking towards them.

"My youngest is pregnant with her first. When are you due?" the man said before he touched his hand to Rose's belly.

"Oi!" Rose batted his hand away as James tightened his hold around her waist. "Not that it's any of your business, but I had my baby seven weeks ago!"

The man had the decency to look embarrassed as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"My apologies. I didn't realize…"

"You know, even if she was still pregnant, that doesn't give you the right to just come up and touch her," James snarled. "Her body is her own."

"Let's just go inside, James," Rose murmured, stroking her hand along his arm. "Come on."

James huffed out an angry breath, but turned away from the flustered-looking man and the passers-by who had stopped to see what the raised voices were about.

"What a wanker," he growled, leading Rose to their table. He helped her out of her coat and into her chair before plopping into the seat across the table.

"Yeah, he was," Rose said simply, reaching out and taking her husband's hand. "But forget about him. This night is about us, yeah?"

His face softened, and he smiled and brought her hand to his lips for a kiss.

They spent the rest of their evening enjoying each other's company without having to worry about being interrupted by a baby. It had been too long since they'd simply reveled in being alone together, and while they missed Ainsley, and sent Robert several check-in texts—to which he always replied with a photo of their daughter—they appreciated being able to celebrate their anniversary in peace.

After dinner, dessert, and dancing, they returned home, warm from the good food and wine they'd drunk, and with the anticipation of what was to come. With Rose cleared by her doctor to resume sexual intercourse, there had been an underlying buzz of excitement and arousal all evening, spurred on by the teasing touches and smiles they gave each other throughout dinner.

When Rose had tugged him in for a sensual kiss on the dance floor, scraping her nails through his hair and teasing his bottom lip between her teeth, it was all James could do to not drag her to the loo and shag her against the wall. Only the desire to make sweet and tender love to his wife all night long had kept him sane as she seemingly tried to unravel him, and he had hastily ushered her out of the restaurant and to their car, barely remembering to pay for their meal before they left.

She hadn't been much better in the car, and her wandering hands and flirty glances had him aching with need by the time he pulled into their driveway. The cold night air cleared his head enough to be able to get them inside the house before he pounced.

He pinned her against the front door and pressed every inch of himself against her, letting her feel how much he wanted her, as though his hungry kisses weren't evidence enough.

"Shall we at least get to the bedroom?" Rose murmured as he unfastened her coat and slipped his hands around to her back before dropping them to her bum.

"Why?" he asked, rocking against her as he caught her lips in short, hard kisses. "No one here but us. Feels so good. Bedroom's so far away."

Rose hummed lowly in agreement, but she didn't fancy their first real shag after three months of celibacy to be against their front door.

"Please, James? Please take me to bed."

James groaned, never being able to resist her when she said "please" like that. He rested his forehead against hers and took a couple of deep breaths to steady himself before he stepped away from her. He shrugged out of his own coat and took Rose's to hang them up by the door, before he took her hand and guided her down the hall to their bedroom.

They toed off their shoes and as Rose reached back to undo the zip of her dress, James grabbed her hands and moved them away.

"Let me," he pleaded softly.

Rose's breath hitched at the lust burning in his eyes, and she swallowed against her suddenly dry mouth as she spun away from him. Goosebumps broke out across her skin as he let his fingertips brush across her bare shoulders before walking their way to her zipper.

He inched the zipper down tooth by tooth, before he slipped his hand between the fabric and her skin and helped it fall to the floor. Rose stepped out of the dress, and watched James carefully put it back in their closet.

"It's a beautiful dress," he explained when he saw her smirk. "It'd be a shame for it to get all wrinkly."

He then stepped towards her and reached around as though to remove her bra, but Rose stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"My turn," she said simply when his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "There's a severely unfair clothing deficit in this bedroom."

"Well, by all means, please level the playing field."

Rose reached up and slowly unknotted his tie, letting the dark navy silk slip between her fingers.

"Always love undressing you," Rose admitted as she pushed his suit jacket off his shoulders. "S'like unwrapping a present."

"Yeah?" James asked, his eyes fluttering shut as Rose slipped her fingers under the waistband of his trousers to untuck his shirt.

"You haven't noticed?" Rose teased, letting her fingers slowly slip all of his buttons from their holes.

"Well, yeah, but it's still… Even after all this time, it feels nice that this part of our relationship hasn't changed," he admitted, a faint pink blush staining his cheeks. "Making love… It always feels as special and intense as our first night together. At least for me, it does."

"For me, too," Rose assured, lifting up on her toes to peck a kiss to his lips.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close to him as he deepened the kiss, letting his tongue tease its way around the inside of her mouth. He knew exactly where to dance his tongue to pull a delicious shudder from her, and he used her distraction to unclasp her bra and tug it free.

"Oi!" Rose rasped, her lips red and kiss swollen. "Cheater!"

"Can you blame me?" James asked with an impish grin.

"Incorrigible, you are." But she was laughing and still undressing him, so James let his lips continue tasting and exploring his wife.

He squeaked and bit her neck in surprise when Rose popped the button of his trousers and immediately stuck her hand into his pants to stroke him.

"Sorry," he murmured, pressing a delicate kiss to the teeth marks he'd left on her skin. "Surprised me, is all. Eager minx."

"Glad I can still surprise you," Rose said, slowly stroking him to full hardness within the confines of his pants.

"Oh, love, you surprise me every day," he said, resting his hands on her hips as he rocked into her touch.

Rose continued teasing his erection as she one-handedly worked his trousers down his legs, and James helpfully stepped out of them.

"Leave it," he said when she made to pick up the pile of clothes.

"They'll wrinkle," she protested.

"Nothing a good startching and ironing can't fix," he growled, tugging her firmly against him. "I'm in the middle of making love to my wife."

"You're in the middle of combusting your wife from sexual frustration," Rose corrected, resting her hands on his shoulders for balance as she wrapped a thigh around his hips to grind herself into his erection.

He groaned deep in his throat and clutched at her hips to help them move as he dropped his mouth to the join of her neck and shoulder. He smirked against her skin as she shivered in his arms and dug her nails into his skin, moaning in pleasure.

"Let's get in bed," James suggested. His legs were shaking as he was consumed by his arousal and his need to be inside Rose. "Before I make a mess of my pants and our evening."

"Oh, I know you better than that, James," Rose purred, continuing to rub against him. "You'd be ready to go again in no time."

A thrill of pride and self-satisfaction shot through him, but he still tapped her thigh to get her to drop her foot back to the floor.

"Be that as it may, I want to properly make love with you," he said. "Please, Rose. I really want to be inside you."

She sighed, and reluctantly stepped away from him to walk to their bed. Even through their pants, she'd worked herself into quite a state, and she was impatient for him to continue touching her. She slipped off her knickers as she saw James working the elastic of his boxers over his erection, and she playfully tossed them at James, giggling when they hit him square in the jaw.

"Nice aim," he said dryly, crawling onto the bed with her. "Nine out of ten."

"Only a nine?" she squawked.

"Mhm." He pressed long, sucking kisses to her legs as he worked his way up her body. "Would've been a ten if you'd centered it around my nose." He scraped his teeth across the soft skin of her inner thigh before laving his tongue across the seam of her hip and thigh. "You smell so good, love."

Rose shuddered in desire as he pressed kisses to her labia before inhaling deeply. That once would have made her blush and squirm in embarrassment, but now it only made her wetter and desperate to feel him inside her.

"Get up here," she croaked, sitting up so she could tug on his shoulders.

"Aww, do I have to?" he whined, but he dutifully kneeled between her legs.

"Yep. You're being a bloody tease."

She smacked him lightly when he hummed happily. How could he look so put together when she felt like she might implode if she didn't get him inside her in the next two minutes.

"I wouldn't look so pleased, love," she warned.

She reached out and grabbed his erection, rubbing him in short, firm strokes she knew he loved while she also licked and sucked her way across his chest and around his nipples.

"Oh, Jesus," he choked, shuddering bodily as Rose bit down hard on the skin at the side of his neck.

"No students to hide these from," she mumbled into his skin just moments before she sucked hard enough for his eyes to roll back in his head from the overwhelming sensations she was making him feel.

He whimpered and as much as he wanted her to continue, he felt his tenuous grasp on his control slipping. He knew he could go a second round—and he intended to, if Rose was amenable—but he didn't want to come to just her fingers.

"Bloody hell, Rose," he gasped, prying her hand away from his cock. "Can-can we get to the main event? _Please?_ "

Rose nodded and turned away from him to root around in her nightstand for the box of condoms she'd put there that afternoon. She crowed triumphantly and faced James once more, holding up a little foil packet.

"Can't forget this. I wouldn't mind having another baby with you, just not quite yet."

James nodded in agreement and gestured down to his erection. "Care to do the honors, my love?"

Rose pursed her lips as her cheeks went pink, and she said, "Don't make fun, James."

He furrowed his brow, wondering what he'd said to embarrass Rose.

"I don't understand," he admitted.

"Never put on a condom before," she mumbled. "You know that."

"Well, it would be a little hard for you to wear one, I'll admit," he said breezily.

She snorted and rolled her eyes, and James grinned, pleased to see her embarrassed blush fade.

"C'mon, I'll show you," he said, taking the condom from her. "You know you don't have to be embarrassed about anything around me. If you don't know something, just ask. I'll never make fun of you for it. Especially this. I'm sorry, I truly didn't realize you would have no idea how to use a condom."

"Then how do you know how to use one?" she asked, biting her lip. "I mean… we've never used one before. Always relied on my birth control."

"I've never used one with someone else, if that's what you're asking," he said flatly, clenching his jaw.

"No, I know," Rose assured, cursing herself when she realized how her question sounded. "I know you've only been with me. But that's my point. _We've_ never used one."

James's cheeks pinkened and he chuckled self-deprecatingly. "Want to know a secret? I practiced putting one on in the few weeks prior to your eighteenth birthday."

Rose stared at him for a moment, then giggled at the absurdity.

"Oi, you're not supposed to laugh at me," James growled, dropping the condom so he could tickle his fingers across her ribs.

"Sorry, that's just so sweet," Rose gasped as she suddenly got a mental picture of James fumbling around with a condom as he Googled how to wear one.

"Wanted to be prepared, is all," he said, shrugging. "Right, ready to do this?"

"So romantic," Rose snorted. "Let's get you ready again."

His erection had wilted slightly in the interim, and he sucked in a breath as she pushed on his shoulders and forced him to his back. She laved her tongue across his nipples, nipping at them as she covered his cock with her hand. She massaged him softly as she trailed her tongue across his chest, down his stomach, and to his hips.

"Oh, blimey," he panted as she bit and sucked his hipbone until she left a bright red mark he knew would still be there the next day. He felt himself hardening beneath her palm, and he hummed in pleasure as she teased the tip of her tongue across the head of his cock. "I-I'm quite ready now."

Rose hummed in acknowledgement, and she pressed a long, open-mouthed kiss to his cock before she sat back on her knees, grinning cheekily at him.

"Minx," he rasped, sitting up. He fumbled around in the sheets, looking for the condom they'd dropped, and he crowed in triumph as he found it. "Right. Condom application 101. Ready?"

"Yes, Professor McCrimmon," Rose said sweetly, biting her lip.

James's hands shook as he ripped open the foil packet, and took out the condom.

"Hold onto the tip," he said, swallowing thickly as Rose cupped his balls in her hand and rolled them gently. "Are you paying attention, Miss Tyler?"

"Yes, sir," she said, snapping off a salute. "Just steadying your cock for you. Aren't I being so helpful?"

"Extremely," he muttered, his eyes fluttering shut as she continued playing with him. "Right. Keep hold of the tip, and place the condom on the head of the erect penis."

Rose watched him settle the latex on his erection.

"Then smooth it down," he instructed, still pinching the top of the condom as he stroked it down his erection.

"Need some help with that, sir?" Rose asked, bumping his hand out of the way so she could work the condom down to the base of his cock while giving him a few teasing squeezes as she did so.

"Oh, brilliant," James sighed, rocking up into her fist. "And that's it. Simple. Hope you were paying attention; this'll be on the final exam."

"Hmm, not sure I completely followed," Rose murmured, straddling his hips so his erection settled against her lower belly. "Might need a few tutoring sessions. Some hands-on practice."

"I think that can be arranged," James mumbled, tugging her flush against him and moaning when he felt the heat of her radiating against him. "C-come to my office hours."

James reclined on the pillows and reached over for the bottle of lube on his bedside table. He handed it to Rose and said, "Use as much as you need."

Rose took the bottle from him and drizzled some lubricant down on him.

"I'm driving?" she asked, slowly rubbing his cock through her folds, enjoying the slippery feeling of him, even if she wished she could feel him skin to skin.

"Yep. Following your lead on this. If at any point you want to stop, just say so," he sighed, rocking his hips against her, chasing her heat.

"Trust me, we're not stopping," she said, feeling her need for him growing exponentially as she ground down against him. "Ready?"

"Been ready all night," he sighed, clutching her hips as she lined him up.

She sank down slowly on him, and he tensed his muscles to keep from thrusting up into her in one quick move. _God, she felt so good_. Her muscles gripped him tightly, squeezing him so deliciously in a way he hadn't felt in three months.

"You feel good," James gasped, tightening his grip on her hips.

"Do I? Really?" Rose asked, and James's heart stuttered at the uncertainty in her voice.

He opened his eyes, and saw an odd expression on her face, but it most certainly wasn't an expression of euphoric rapture.

"Everything okay?" he asked, rubbing his hands up and down her thighs.

"It feels… different," she said, tightening her muscles around him.

"Good different, or bad different?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Just… different."

"Am I hurting you?" he asked worriedly, ready to lift her off of him, but he breathed out a thankful sigh when she shook her head. "Want to stop?"

She shook her head again, and James couldn't help but feel relieved. If she'd said yes, of course he would've agreed and stopped, but he really, really wanted to make love with his wife.

"Go as slowly as you need to," James encouraged when she rocked tentatively against him.

"I want this to be good for you," Rose argued.

"It is," he promised. "It always feels brilliant to be inside you. I want this to feel nice for you, too. Just… do what feels good. I'm just along for the ride."

Rose snorted at him, but planted her hands on the bed on either side of his head as she started to really move.

James sighed in pleasure and his eyes rolled back at the hot, wet friction. Her breasts swung in front of his face, and he reached up and palmed them. They were much bigger than he was used to, and he enjoyed squishing them around in his hands and tugging at her nipples and…

"Shit, James, stop," Rose said, sitting up just as liquid squirted into his palms. "I'm sorry. Shit."

James glanced up at her, his hands soaked with milk as more of it dribbled out of her breasts as she helplessly sat on top of him.

He imagined they looked completely ridiculous, and the absurdity of the moment made him break out in peals of laughter.

"God, we're a right mess," he giggled, wiping his hands on the sheets.

"Sorry," she mumbled, crossing her arms across her leaking chest.

"Hey, do you see me complaining?" he asked, reaching up to cradle her cheek in his palm. "It was my own fault, anyway. Keep forgetting those aren't mine at the moment."

Rose smiled wryly as swiped drops of breastmilk off of his chest.

"Now, if you're all done trying to drown me in Ainsley's breakfast, d'you think we can keep going?"

Rose rolled her eyes at her daft soulmate.

"Hands to yourself," she warned as she once more moved against him.

"You sure about that?" James asked, ghosting his fingertips across her hips and down to her bum. "Are absolutely sure about that?"

He gave her arse a quick squeeze then dropped his hands to his sides.

"You nutter."

"But your nutter," James said happily. "And anyways, you said to keep my hands to myself. So… hands to myself…"

He raised his hands and tweaked his nipples and scratched at his chest hair. He moaned loudly and arched into his own touch, even though it didn't feel nearly as good as it did when Rose touched him like that.

"My nutter indeed," Rose mumbled fondly, recognizing his false and exaggerated moans. She reached down to tease her fingertips around his nipples. "Hands off the tits. Is that clearer for you?"

"Mhm," he murmured, shivering as she scraped her nails across his chest.

He reached out and grabbed her arse again, squeezing and squishing her firm flesh in his hands.

After a few minutes of her grinding slowly down on top of him, he tentatively thrust his hips up against her as he tugged her hips closer to him.

Rose understood his request, and she braced herself with her hands on his chest as she started thrusting on him more quickly. His sighs and moans of pleasure began increasing in pitch and tempo, and the sounds made her own arousal roll to a boil low in her belly.

He started chanting her name pleadingly, as his eyes squeezed shut on their own volition, and the telltale furrow appeared between his brows. She tried to keep watching him, loving when she could see him tip over in pleasure, but she was so close to her own climax that she let her eyes flutter shut and let her pleasure consume her as she heard and felt James's orgasm overtake him.

When she returned to awareness, she shakily lifted herself off of James and flopped down on the bed beside him.

He curled up against her instantly, and as he tried to wrap his arms around her, Rose murmured, "Take care of the condom first."

He grumbled, and reached down between his legs and removed it before he tied a knot at the top of the latex and dropped it over the side of the bed.

"James," she chastised, hearing the wet thud.

"I'll get it in a minute," he promised, finally wrapping her up in his arms. "Just let me hold you."

Heat and love pulsed through her heart, and she couldn't refuse. He was trembling beside her and still breathing heavily, and Rose had forgotten how much she missed these post-coital cuddles.

"That was fantastic," she murmured, nuzzling her nose into his hair.

"So bloody fantastic," he agreed, humming happily. "Good thing Dad took Ainsley. I think we'd've woken her up."

"Guess we'll have to practice staying quiet," Rose mused.

"Guess so," James agreed, pressing soft kisses to the swell of her breast. "Not tonight, though. Tonight, Rose Tyler-McCrimmon, I plan on making you scream again and again and again."

oOoOo

The next morning, Rose frowned as she poked at her belly, the words the man in the restaurant had said echoing in the forefront of her mind. She still looked like she could be at least six months pregnant, and the skin was saggy and stretched, and she grimaced as she was able to gather up a handful of her stomach.

"All right there, love?" James asked, stepping out of the shower behind her.

The sated, goofy grin on his face made her feel marginally better, but she still felt a spike of self-consciousness. They'd made love quite enthusiastically last night and that morning, and James never once seemed to be bothered by her figure, but she knew that he would be too bloody nice to ever say anything about it.

"I'm flabby," she muttered, looking back down at her stomach.

"You're gorgeous," he countered, stepping up behind her to look at her through their mirror.

"No, I'm not," she scoffed. "Bloody hell. You must be incredibly horny if you're at all turned on by me right now."

"Hey, now," he chastised. "That's my wife you're insulting."

"Seriously, James. Look at me," she said, taking her stomach in hand and rolling the loose flesh around in her fingers. "This is disgusting."

"This doesn't have anything to do with what that arsehole at the restaurant said last night, does it?" he demanded, frowning at her.

She felt her cheeks heat up and she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze.

"He's a wanker," James said softly, covering her hands with hers where they rested on her belly. He smoothed his hands across her skin, encouraging her stomach to rest naturally. He stroked his fingers up and down her stomach, tracing her stretch marks as he went. "Listen to me, Rose. Your body has just done an amazing thing. It nourished and cradled our beautiful daughter for eight months. It had to grow and expand as she did. It's only been seven weeks, love. It underwent eight months of changes; you can't expect to look like you did before Ainsley overnight."

"Yeah," Rose mumbled, feeling an uncomfortable mixture of embarrassment and self-consciousness. She knew James would love her no matter what she looked like, but she still felt a little uncomfortable in her body that hadn't been her own for the last nine months.

He nuzzled his lips against her neck and pressed kisses to her skin as he murmured, "And while I still think you are the most stunningly gorgeous woman in the universe, if it really bothers you so much, we can start an exercise regimen, if you want. I'll do it with you. We can tone your tummy until you're satisfied. Or if you don't want to do it with me, I'll be on baby duty so you can work on looking the way you want to look. Whatever you want."

Rose sighed and nodded, and leaned back into his touch. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and careful cradled her stomach in his hands.

"I love you," he whispered, sweeping his lips across her neck. "Saggy belly and all."

He gave her stomach a playful pinch, and grinned at her when she elbowed him in the gut.

"Git," she said, but James was pleased to hear the laughter in her voice. "Come on, I'm starved. And I still owe you an anniversary gift."

James eagerly followed her into the kitchen and together they whipped up a full English breakfast.

Later, as they sat on the sofa with their empty breakfast dishes, Rose hopped up and disappeared down the hall to the home office. She returned a moment later with a wrapped box, and James took it from her with a thank you kiss.

He ripped off the paper to reveal a box with her company's logo on it, and he excitedly opened the box, knowing some sort of art lay within.

He pulled out a long, rectangular picture frame that had two pictures side by side. The one on the left was a black and white photograph of him and Ainsley asleep on the sofa. Ainsley was naked save for her nappy and she was curled up on his bare chest, and his hands were cradling her tiny body as they slept.

The picture on the right was a fully-colored digital art rendering of the photo to the left. James marveled at the soft colors Rose used to make the photo come alive.

He ran a reverent eye over the photo and the portrait; the love behind each piece was so obvious, it made him ache.

"Oh, Rose," he whispered, a lump of emotion lodging in his throat.

"Do you like it?" she asked, biting her lip.

James breathed out a disbelieving laugh, and he leaned forward to press a grateful kiss to her lips. How lucky was he to have such an artistic soulmate who could beautifully document every stage of their life, and their child's life?

"I love it," he whispered, continuing to press kisses to her lips. "I love it so much. I love you so much. I love our daughter so much."

Rose grinned beneath his mouth and twined her fingers through his hair to deepen the kiss.

oOoOo

James grunted in her ear as he moved more quickly on top of her, chasing his release in sync with the countdown on their television. She'd come too quickly, much to James's satisfaction, and he was now thrusting into her with abandon, focused on his own pleasure.

Rose loved being able to watch him like this. She was drowsy and sated from her own orgasm, and his movements felt so good inside her, sending delicious aftershocks of pleasure through her body. She worked on helping him lose himself in ecstasy by clenching her inner muscles as tight as she could as she held him closer, knowing he loved being surrounded by her.

His grunts turned more urgent and his hips stuttered, and it was all Rose could do not to laugh and break the mood as the countdown hit 'four'.

"Come on, James," she whispered in his ear, making her voice breathier for him.

She squeezed her thighs around his hips, dug her nails into his scalp, and nipped his earlobe, and that was enough to tip him over. He buried himself as deeply as he could go as shudders rippled through him before he arched his back and let out the most beautiful sounds of pleasure.

Rose held him through his release, gentling her touch on him even as she still squeezed him tightly from inside.

He flopped down on top of her, still letting out the occasional sighing moan.

"Lift your hips," Rose murmured, stroking his hair away from his face. "Just for a second, I promise."

He grumbled but dutifully pulled out of her so they could take care of the condom. Rose tugged it off of him and wrapped it in a few tissues before dropping it onto the floor, then she urged James back on top of her.

He nuzzled his face into her neck and sighed happily.

"Happy New Year, Rose," he whispered, pressing lazy kisses across her skin.

"Happy New Year," she replied, mindlessly running her fingers through his hair. "And guess what? You got it this year."

"Yeah?" He lifted his head to look at her, a daft grin on his face.

"Mhm. I think the countdown got to two just as you started."

He hummed deep in his throat. For years they'd been trying to time their shagging so their orgasms would hit right when the countdown ended.

"Gonna have to work harder to get you to come on schedule next year," he mused sleepily.

Rose snorted. "You worked too hard this year. I was finished a full minute before you were."

He giggled proudly, and Rose felt her chest get warm and heavy with her love for him.

She pressed a lingering kiss to his forehead, before nudging him off of her so they could clean up then get ready for bed. But just as they stood on still-shaky legs, the pop of fireworks began, far closer to the house than they were anticipating. The froze, and glanced at each other, then the baby monitor just moments before Ainsley let out a startled cry.

"I'll get her," James said, wiping himself clean with his discarded boxers. He slipped on a fresh pair of pants and a t-shirt and made his way out of their room.

Rose used the loo and slipped into new knickers and one of James's shirts just as her husband returned with their still-crying baby.

"Oh, shh, darling, you're all right," he soothed, bouncing slightly. "You're all right. Daddy's here. Daddy's got you. Those fireworks are pretty scary, huh? And loud. But they're so pretty and colorful. When you're a bit older, we'll take you to see some. But for now, let's just have a cuddle in bed until they stop."

A particularly loud _boom_ echoed through the house, and James winced as he felt Ainsley flinch against him and let out a wail.

"Shh, I know," he murmured, rocking her slightly as he pressed kisses to her hair. "But don't you worry, darling. You're completely safe. I'll always do whatever I can to keep you safe."

Rose joined her family in bed, then flicked off her bedside lamp. The only light came from the nightlight in the hallway and the occasional burst of color outside their window.

"Must be setting them off in the park," James mused, moving so he was lying on his back with Ainsley on his chest.

Rose stroked her finger down the back of Ainsley's hand, then tucked it into her palm. The baby clutched Rose's finger tightly for a few minutes, before letting go to stuff her fist into her mouth.

"Want me to put her back in her crib?" Rose asked when she saw James's eyes droop shut.

"Nah, she's fine for now," he replied, his eyes still closed. "Reckon fireworks will be going off throughout the night. At least for the next hour or so."

"M'kay."

Rose tugged up the sheets and draped them over James and Ainsley.

"Love you," she mumbled, resting her head on his pillow to better cuddle with her family.

"Love you, too," James murmured, turning his head to kiss her forehead. "And happy anniversary."

"Happy anniversary, James."

Eighteen years ago, her life had changed dramatically overnight when she'd been marked as soulmated. It was the best day of her life, knowing she had someone who was hers and hers alone, and that she was completely and utterly his. And now they had a little someone who was theirs.

She never knew she could love someone so much that it felt like she might burst apart because her body couldn't possibly contain it all. That feeling grew and strengthened every day, and not just for Ainsley, but for James. She felt as though she fell in love with him all over again whenever he smiled at her, or made her a cup of tea just the way she liked it, or tucked a blanket around her when she got too immersed in her art to realize she was getting chilled.

There was no better feeling than being with her soulmate, and she was so pleased to find that despite having spent almost every day with him for the past six and a half years, she still wanted to spend all of her time with him. He made her feel so safe and loved and comfortable. They had made a home in each other, and now it had grown to encompass their daughter.

Rose sighed contentedly and let herself drift off to sleep, tucked in beside the two people she loved most in the world.


	7. Epilogue

"Nighty night, Ainsley," James murmured, tucking the sheets closer around her chin.

"Ni' Daddy," she replied, her eyelids drooping shut in exhaustion.

"Sweet dreams."

"Dreams."

"I love you."

"Love you."

James smiled at his daughter and pressed a final kiss to her temple before slipping out of her room. He left the door cracked and walked down the hall, where Rose was sitting on the sofa with a book in her lap and a glass of wine in her hand.

She was fresh from the shower; her face was cleaned of all makeup, her damp hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and she was wearing his favorite pajama set: a pair of his boxers and one of his t-shirts.

"What have you got there?" he asked, plopping down beside her. He guided her hand that was holding the wine glass to his lips so he could steal a sip.

"Ainsley's baby book," she replied, turning towards him so he could see. "Well, the first one."

They'd taken so many photos and Rose had drawn so many portraits of their daughter that they'd sectioned them by year. Rose was currently looking through the book containing her newborn through her first birthday photographs.

"She's gotten so big," Rose mused.

James hummed in agreement, wondering where the last two years had gone. It felt like yesterday that he was holding his daughter for the first time; but the party he and Rose had had for her that afternoon to celebrate her second birthday reminded him of just how much time had passed.

"Explain me this," James said, draping his arm across the back of the couch. "How is it that these last two years felt like I blinked and they were over, but the wait from your sixteenth birthday to your eighteenth seemed to take half a dozen eternities?"

Rose giggled, and shook her head. It certainly seemed as though time were flying far too quickly, and that she was struggling to not miss a single precious moment with their daughter.

They traded off sips of wine as they took a wander down memory lane. They watched their daughter grow and develop, and they smiled as they relived all of the precious moments they'd caught on film—the first time she rolled over, the first time she crawled to them, her first steps towards them.

Having reached the end of book one, Rose grabbed book two. She flipped it open and chuckled when she saw the page that was devoted to Ainsley learning to feed herself. There were many pictures of Ainsley covered in her food, beaming proudly at the camera.

James smiled fondly at the photographs. The love he felt for his daughter seemed to grow exponentially every day as she learned something new. He wasn't sure how his body was able to contain his love and pride, and still have room for the growing love he felt for his soulmate. And yet, he felt as though there was room for more…

He glanced at Rose out of the corner of his eye, wondering how to phrase his next thought, but he was distracted by the furrow in her brow. He glanced down to see what had caught her attention, and winced.

While they'd caught many joyous moments on film, there were several not so pleasant memories that had been frozen in time in the pictures, too.

There were a series of photos with Ainsley's skin dotted red as she contracted the chickenpox. It had always hurt to see their baby sick, but watching her battle with the chickenpox had been miserable. It was hard to console an eighteen-month-old child who didn't understand anything except that she was tired, cranky, and itchy all the time.

And then there were a few photographs that showed Ainsley with a bruised, stitched-up gash on her forehead, the result of her having tried to climb Rose's dresser before physics took over and the furniture fell on top of her.

That had been one of the scariest days of his life. He remembered vividly the terror that had consumed him when he and Rose had suddenly heard a loud thud followed by a deafening scream. He felt his pulse race slightly with anxiety that the memory stirred up, and how it had taken both him and Rose to lift the dresser away from their daughter. It could have been much worse—thankfully the dresser had fallen in the direction of the bed, and the mattress had taken the brunt of the furniture's weight, leaving Ainsley relatively unscathed. She'd escaped with nothing but a lump on the head and a knocked-out tooth, and James thanked God for that miracle.

He refilled their glass from the bottle on the table and took a large gulp as he forced himself to leave that awful day in his memories, and he hurriedly flipped to a new page, far enough ahead that the lump on Ainsley's head had faded.

"Oh, I found something the other day that might amuse you," James said as he saw a photo of Ainsley playing with a bar of soap in the bathtub. "Be right back."

He jogged down the hall to the home office for an old photograph, and handed it to Rose when he returned.

"Oh, my God," she whispered, glancing at the faded photograph.

James ran his eye again over the toddler in the photo, a small girl with dark hair and light eyes and fair skin playing in a bathtub. She was a spitting image of Ainsley, and if not for the old quality of the photo and the year he knew it was taken, he could've mistaken the child for his daughter.

"Take a look," he said, turning the picture over so Rose could see what was scrawled on the back.

 _Vera, April 1958._

"God, she looks just like her!" Rose said in awe, glancing back and forth between the photos of Vera and Ainsley.

"Wonder if she'll keep looking like Mum as she grows," James mused, slipping the photo of his mother behind the protective sheeting of the photo album so it could be on display next to the photo of Ainsley in the tub.

"Time will tell, I suppose," Rose said, closing the book as they got to the end.

James slipped his arm around her waist and urged her to rest her head against his neck. He rested his cheek in her hair and brought his hand under her shirt to mindlessly stroke her skin above the waistband of her pants.

"You know, we're not completely rubbish when it comes to this parenting thing," James said softly.

"I'd like to agree, yeah," Rose said, and he heard the suspicion in her voice.

"And I was just wondering… D'you think maybe we're ready to do it all over again? I mean… would you want to do it all over again?"

James held himself still as he waited for Rose's answer. He told himself he would be fine no matter what she said, but looking back at all of the loving memories they'd made with Ainsley, he felt a hard knot of want lodge itself in his chest. He really wanted another baby with his soulmate.

"I've been thinking about that, too," Rose admitted, moving away from him.

James's arm fell limply to his side as Rose turned to face him.

"Yeah? And what do you think?"

"I think it's going to be hard," she said, tracing her finger across the lip of the empty wine glass. "Taking care of one was hard. I've never been more exhausted in my life. But I've also never been happier in my life."

James finally looked up at her, squashing down the hope that was threatening to burst out of him. She hadn't said yes.

"We would have to balance our time with Ainsley," Rose continued. "Right now, all three of us are used to her being our only focus. That would change with a new baby. But… But I think we could do it. Learn as we go, yeah? S'what we've been doing so far and it's been working pretty well, I'd say."

"Yeah?" James asked, feeling his lips stretch into a wide smile.

"Yeah, definitely," Rose said, echoing his grin.

He let out that daft-sounding giggle that for some reason Rose loved, and he opened his arms for her again.

"Oh, I love you."

"I love you, too," she murmured, giving his waist a tight squeeze. "So, that being said… I suppose we can cross off condoms from the shopping list."

He peppered kisses across her cheek and neck before burying his nose in her hair to hold her close.

"Yeah," he whispered, his heart throbbing hot with love. "Yeah, I suppose we can."


End file.
